Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, won the Academy Award for his debut feature "Summer of Soul" which premiered at 2021 virtual Sundance. This year he appeared on stage at The Eccles Center with his second musical documentary. Although I was familiar with the extraordinary music created by the group Sly & the Family Stone, I was unaware of the range of Sly’s talent, the influence he'd had on other musicians or the issues brought on by addiction later in his career.
Family, friends, band mates and fellow musicians were interviewed along with vintage film and photos and a kick-ass sound track. This doc is a powerful tribute to a man whose legacy deserves respect and appreciation.
Although some of the band members and family members were in the audience, 81-year-old Sly did not make an appearance.
On the KPCW sun rating system, "Sly Lives!" receives three and a half suns out of five suns.
