Sly Stone: Court Awards Funk Singer $5 Million For Unpaid Royalties

Funk legend Sly Stone was awarded $5 million on Tuesday in a breach-of-contract suit that claimed his business partners and his own company cheated him out of royalties.

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury ruled for the 71-year-old performer in his action against his ex-manager Gerald Goldstein, attorney Glenn Stone and Even St. Productions Ltd.

Stone, whose real name is Sylvester Stewart, led the group Sly and the Family Stone to a string of hits in the 1960s and early '70s including "Everyday People," ''Dance To The Music" and "Family Affair." But heavy drug use began to take a toll.

His lawyers say Stone's career was long eclipsed and he was destitute when Goldstein and Glenn Stone convinced him to become an employee of and co-owner of Even St. Productions with them in 1989.

Stone assigned royalty rights to the company and was supposed to receive some of the money it collected for him but Goldstein and Glenn Stone arranged to get it through shady accounting, Hornberger argued.

Sly Stone testified that he had not received any royalty payments between 1989 and 2000.

Jurors assessed $2.5 million in damages against Even St. Productions, $2.45 million against Goldstein and $50,000 against Glenn Stone.

Gerald Goldstein and Glenn Stone is planning to appeal.

Source: Associated Press