1971’s There’s A Riot Goin’ On was another of Sly and The Family Stone’s top releases, although it wasn’t a critical success early on. But over time, it has become the band’s most influential recording, giving them the distinction as some of the top innovators in he funk and soul world.
Although Robinson played the background as a horn player, she was far from insignificant. Her talents as a trumpeter led to her working with fellow Sly and the Family Stone member Larry Graham and his Graham Central Station band after the Family Stone disbanded in 1975.
Sly And The Family Stone reunited in 2003 without Sly and Graham, but with the rest of the original members and Robinson resuming her role on vocals and the trumpet. The newest incarnation of the band featured she and Stone’s daughter Sylvyette, and the pair sang together on the Family Stone’s 2015 single, “Do Yo Dance.”
As fans who follow Robinson’s Facebook page were aware of, she had been battling cancer for some time. She finally succumbed to the illness on Monday, with adoring messages from fans and supporters continuing to mount.
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Little Known Black History Fact: Cynthia Robinson was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
