Sly Stone, one of the pioneers of funk music, has died aged 82, his family have said.

As front man for his band Sly And The Family Stone, the musician fused soul, rock, psychedelia and gospel to take the sound that defined an era in the 1970s into new territory, second only to James Brown as the early founders of funk.

Several of the band’s seminal tracks became known to a wider audience when they were subsequently sampled by hip hop artists.

“Everyday People” was sampled by Arrested Development, while “Sing A Simple Song” was sampled by Public Enemy, De La Soul and Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg.

Stone’s family has said in a statement he died after a battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health issues.

A statement issued by his publicist on behalf of Stone’s family said: “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved dad, Sly Stone of Sly And The Family Stone.

“After a prolonged battle with COPD and other underlying health issues, Sly passed away peacefully, surrounded by his three children, his closest friend, and his extended family.

“While we mourn his absence, we take solace in knowing that his extraordinary musical legacy will continue to resonate and inspire for generations to come.

“Sly was a monumental figure, a groundbreaking innovator, and a true pioneer who redefined the landscape of pop, funk, and rock music. His iconic songs have left an indelible mark on the world, and his influence remains undeniable.

“In a testament to his enduring creative spirit, Sly recently completed the screenplay for his life story, a project we are eager to share with the world in due course, which follows a memoir published in 2024.

“We extend our deepest gratitude for the outpouring of love and prayers during this difficult time. We wish peace and harmony to all who were touched by Sly’s life and his iconic music.

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your unwavering support.”

Stone, born Sylvester Stewart in Texas, and his group were regulars on the US music charts in the late 1960s and 1970s, with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “I Want to Take You Higher,” “Family Affair,” “If You Want Me to Stay,” and “Hot Fun in the Summertime”.

He played a leading role in introducing funk, an Afrocentric style of music driven by grooves and syncopated rhythms, to a broader audience.

James Brown had forged the elements of funk before Stone founded his band in 1966, but Stone’s brand of funk drew new listeners.

It was celebratory, eclectic, psychedelic and rooted in the counterculture of the late 1960s.

However, Stone later fell on hard times and became addicted to cocaine, never staging a successful comeback.

His music became less joyous in the 1970s, reflecting the polarisation of the country after opposition to the Vietnam War and racial tensions triggered unrest on college campuses and in African-American neighbourhoods in big US cities.

In 1971, Sly and the Family Stone released “There’s a Riot Goin’ On,” which became the band’s only Number 1 album.

Critics said the album’s bleak tone and slurred vocals denoted the increasing hold of cocaine on Stone.

But some called the record a masterpiece, a eulogy to the 1960s.

In the early 1970s, Stone became erratic and missed shows. Some members left the band.

But the singer was still a big enough star in 1974 to attract a crowd of 21,000 for his wedding to actress and model Kathy Silva at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Ms Silva filed for divorce less than a year later.

Sly and the Family Stone’s album releases in the late 1970s and early 1980s flopped, as Stone racked up drug possession arrests.

The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and Stone was celebrated in an all-star tribute at the Grammy Awards in 2006.

He sauntered on stage with a blond mohawk haircut but bewildered the audience by leaving mid-song.

In 2011, after launching what would become a years-long legal battle to claim royalties he said were stolen, Stone was arrested for cocaine possession.

That year, media reported Stone was living in a recreational vehicle parked on a street in South Los Angeles.

Stone had a son, Sylvester, with Ms Silva.

He had two daughters, Novena Carmel, and Sylvette “Phunne” Stone, whose mother was bandmate Cynthia Robinson.

A judge in the US has dismissed actor Justin Baldoni’s $400m (£295m) defamation lawsuit against his It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively.

Baldoni filed the countersuit against the 37-year-old in response to her launching legal action in December, accusing him of sexual harassment against her while filming the 2024 movie.

The 41-year-old and production company Wayfarer Studios countersued in January for $400m, accusing Lively and her husband, “Deadpool” actor Ryan Reynolds, their publicist, the New York Times, and others of orchestrating a smear campaign to extort him.

He accused Lively of trying to “hijack” the movie and then blaming him when her “disastrous” promotional approach prompted an online backlash against her.

“It Ends With Us” garnered mixed reviews, but grossed more than $351m (£259m) worldwide, according to reports.

In a statement, lawyers representing Lively said: “Today’s opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times.

“As we have said from day one, this ‘$400 million’ lawsuit was a sham, and the court saw right through it.

“We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys’ fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation.”

Sky News has approached Baldoni’s representatives for comment.

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US District Court Judge Lewis Liman has ruled that Baldoni can’t sue Lively for defamation over claims she made in her lawsuit, because allegations made in a lawsuit are exempt from libel claims.

The judge also dismissed Baldoni’s defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, which had reported on Lively’s sexual harassment allegations.

Read more:
Lively and Baldoni’s lawyers told to stop discussing cases
Amber Heard reacts to Lively’s complaint about Baldoni

Mr Liman also ruled that Baldoni’s claims that Lively stole creative control of the film didn’t count as extortion under California law.

Baldoni’s legal team can revise the lawsuit if they want to pursue different claims related to whether Lively breached a contract, the judge said.

“It Ends With Us,” an adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s bestselling 2016 novel that begins as a romance but takes a dark turn into domestic violence, was released in August last, exceeding box office expectations with a $50m (£37m) debut.

But the movie’s release was shrouded by speculation over discord between Lively and Baldoni.

Frederick Forsyth, the author of The Day Of The Jackal, has died at the age of 86 after a brief illness, his literary agents Curtis Brown said.

His book The Day Of The Jackal was turned into a 1973 film and last year a TV series on Sky Atlantic featuring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch.

The best-selling author was surrounded by his family when he died on Monday morning, Curtis Brown added.

Read more: Eddie Redmayne says preparing for role in film almost ended in disaster

Forsyth, a former RAF pilot and investigative journalist turned novelist, was also known for his thrilling crime books The Fox, The Kill List and The Afghan.

He was born in Ashford, Kent, in 1938 and joined the Royal Air Force in 1956 before leaving after two years to pursue a career in journalism.

He covered international stories and the attempted assassination of French general Charles de Gaulle, which provided the inspiration for The Day Of The Jackal, which was published in 1971.

In 2000 he became the first high-profile British writer to agree to publish a book exclusively on the internet.

He revealed he had extensive involvement with MI6 in his 2015 memoir The Outsider: My Life In Intrigue.

His agent Jonathan Lloyd said: “We mourn the passing of one of the world’s greatest thriller writers.

“Only a few weeks ago I sat with him as we watched a new and moving documentary of his life – In My Own Words, to be released later this year on BBC1 – and was reminded of an extraordinary life, well lived.

“After serving as one of the youngest ever RAF pilots, he turned to journalism, using his gift for languages in German, French and Russian to become a foreign correspondent in Biafra.

“Appalled at what he saw and using his experience during a stint as a secret service agent, he wrote his first and perhaps most famous novel, The Day Of The Jackal, and instantly became a global best-selling author.

“He went on to write more than 25 books (many of which were made into films) that have sold over 75 million copies.

“He will be greatly missed by his family, his friends, all of us at Curtis Brown and of course his millions of fans around the world – though his books will of course live on forever.”