Nile Rodgers on Befriending Sly Stone in His Darkest Hour
So here’s the scene: Chic’s guitar maestro Nile Rodgers stumbled into an unexpected friendship with funk pioneer Sly Stone when Stone was literally crashing in his car. Rodgers spilled the tea in a new Rolling Stone sit-down, revealing how he went from studio legend to on-call confidant for the man behind “Everyday People.” Rodgers first crossed paths with Sly in the late ’90s, but it wasn’t until a chance encounter—Rodgers spotted a familiar Cadillac in a warehouse parking lot—that things got real. According to Rolling Stone, Rodgers pulled over, recognized Stone’s classic ride and asked if he was okay. Stone, who’d re-emerged in public only sporadically since his mid-’80s retreat, admitted he’d been sleeping in that car.
Rodgers didn’t just drop off a sandwich and vanish. People Magazine reports he invited Stone to his studio, where they jammed on old classics and new riffs. “He was so quiet, but his genius was still there,” Rodgers told Variety. In fact, Rodgers arranged recording sessions and even helped Stone navigate health check-ups—because Sly’s battle with diabetes and mental health struggles were well-documented in interviews with NPR and Billboard. Rodgers’ empathy was so on-point that Stone opened up about losing his mother and the weight of sudden fame.
Meanwhile, insiders from People Magazine confirm Stone’s gratitude ran deep: he credited Rodgers for rekindling his sense of purpose. The result? A handful of demos that Rodgers still calls “untapped gold.” Although those tracks never got a full commercial release, clips surfaced on YouTube and SoundCloud in 2017, prompting a new generation to discover Sly’s singular groove.
Rodgers also touched on how this period influenced Chic’s own comeback. Fans noticed live shows from 2013 onwards carried a tender edge, a tribute to their late friend’s resilience. In a Billboard article, Rodgers hinted that Chic’s next studio album may sample one of Sly’s demo hooks—proof that creative sparks can flare in the unlikeliest of parking lots.
This friendship, documented across high-profile outlets like Rolling Stone and People, sheds light on Sly Stone’s vulnerable final years—and on Rodgers’ own evolution from disco king to guardian angel of funk lore. It’s a reminder that even musical royalty can wind up behind the wheel for shelter, and that sometimes it takes a fellow legend to extend a hand. Anyway, that’s the vibe. Do with it what you will.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and Rolling Stone, People Magazine, Variety, Billboard
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
