Larry Graham

Larry Graham’s groundbreaking pop-and-slap bass technique served as the centerpiece of Graham Central Station, the band he assembled after leaving Sly & the Family Stone, where he had helped create the percussive bass lines that defined 1970s progressive funk. Born August 14, 1946, in Beaumont, Texas, he grew up in Oakland, California, mastering guitar, harmonica, and drums in addition to bass; at 15 he joined the Dell Graham Trio, the lounge group fronted by his mother. During his college years he backed John Lee Hooker, Jackie Wilson, Jimmy Reed, and the Drifters, then in 1968 became a member of Sly & the Family Stone for the period that produced the landmark albums Stand! and There’s a Riot Goin’ On along with the hits “Dance to the Music” and “Everybody Is a Star,” both of which spotlighted his deep baritone voice and influential bass style.

After internal tensions prompted his departure in late 1972, Graham first considered producing the band Hot Chocolate, then joined its lineup and renamed it Graham Central Station. The group’s core members included guitarist David “Dynamite” Vega, keyboardists Robert “Butch” Sam, previously with Billy Preston, and Hershall “Happiness” Kennedy, percussionist Patryce “Chocolate” Banks, and drummer Willie “Wild” Sparks. Their self-titled 1974 debut album generated the modest pop hit “Can You Handle It,” while the follow-up Release Yourself later that year yielded “Feel the Need.” The third LP, 1975’s Ain’t No Bout-A-Doubt It, delivered the Top 40 pop single “Your Love,” which reached number one on the R&B chart; Mirror appeared the next year.

Now Do U Wanta Dance (1977) brought another R&B hit with its title track. By the time My Radio Sure Sounds Good to Me arrived in 1978, Graham’s wife Tina had joined as vocalist, yet mainstream crossover remained out of reach. After Star Walk the following year the band dissolved. Graham launched a solo career that shifted toward soul ballads; One in a Million You (1980) reached the Top 30, with the title song becoming a Top Ten hit. Just Be My Lady (1981) produced another chart entry with its title track, and Sooner or Later (1982) also performed well. Victory appeared in 1983, but Graham’s visibility declined; Fired Up surfaced only in Japan in 1985. The lone later success was the 1987 minor hit duet “If You Need My Love Tonight” with Aretha Franklin, after which he concentrated on songwriting and session work.

In the early 1990s Graham led the nine-piece Psychedelic Psoul, which toured with comedian-singer Eddie Murphy, and he also performed with the Crusaders. Following Sly & the Family Stone’s 1993 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he revived Graham Central Station and recruited former Family Stone colleagues Cynthia Robinson on trumpet and Jerry Martini on saxophone. Prince remained a steadfast supporter throughout Graham’s quieter years, frequently citing Graham Central Station’s impact on both his music and stage presentation. By 1997 the band was the regular opening act on Prince’s Jam of the Year tour and issued the Japanese album By Popular Demand. Recordings made with Prince at Paisley Park resulted in GCS 2000 (1998), released while Graham served as the artist’s bassist. Although he continued writing and touring intermittently, Graham Central Station did not issue another album until Raise Up appeared on the Moosicus label in 2012.