Sly Stone Awarded $5M In Case Against Former Manager, Attorney

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Legendary funk artist Sly Stone, who sued his former manager and an entertainment attorney, saying they diverted and misappropriated royalties owed him for more than 20 years, was awarded $5 million Tuesday by a jury.

The Los Angeles Superior Court panel deliberated for about two days before finding in favor of the singer – whose real name is Sylvester Stewart – and against ex-manager Gerald Goldstein, lawyer Glenn Stone and Goldstein-affiliated entertainment company Even St. Productions Ltd.

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

Stone, 71, had testified he had not received any royalty statements from Goldstein or anyone else between 1989 and 2000.

Stone formed Sly and the Family Stone in 1966, and the group was successful for a decade before breaking up in the mid-1970s. Their hits included "Everyday People, "Dance To The Music," "Family Affair," "Hot Fun in the Summertime" and "Thank You."

Stone developed a cocaine problem and eventually fell on hard times, during which he lived out of a camper with electricity provided by a family in the Crenshaw District, according to Nicholas Hornberger, one of Stone's attorneys.

Attorney Gregory Bodell, speaking for Goldstein and Glenn Stone, said the singer broke promises in a 1988 agreement to make new records as part of a joint effort to revitalize his career and that he had been paid millions during his association with the two men.

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