Biography
Three Cleveland natives formed Sly, Slick & Wicked in 1970 and launched a career that intersected multiple chapters of soul music history. High-school friends John F. Wilson, who performed as Sly, Charles Still, known as Slick, and Madison Sexton, who answered to Wicked, quickly earned a spot in a session helmed by Stax artist Eddie Purrell. One cut from that session, “Stay My Love,” reached Paramount executives, prompting the label to issue the track as the group’s debut single in 1971; around the same period Sexton departed and Terry Stubbs stepped in. The single generated national attention, leading Paramount to follow up in 1972 with “It’s Not Easy.” Those two releases drew the interest of James Brown, who invited the trio to record for People Records, the Paramount subsidiary he then operated, and to join his First Family of Soul roster.
Brown joined Purrell behind the console for the resulting single “Sho’ Nuff,” which expanded the group’s reach and earned them an appearance on Soul Train in 1973. In 1974 the act moved to Shaker Records, the imprint owned by the O’Jays, and issued “Turn On Your Lovelight,” whose reception prompted Motown to sign them. Through the Ju-par subsidiary the group delivered its first album, Sly, Slick & Wicked, in 1976. Extensive road work followed, and additional material was tracked for a planned second Motown/Ju-par release that ultimately remained unreleased. By 1979 the trio had shifted to Epic for the single “All I Want Is You,” though its commercial impact proved limited.
The members continued to perform on an occasional basis through the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s while pursuing separate endeavors, with Stubbs contributing songs, most notably to the O’Jays, and Wilson producing and writing for Janet Jackson and Barry White. In late 2003 the Motown Museum presented Sly, Slick & Wicked with its Men of Motown Award, and the group was later inducted into the Motown Alumni Association Hall of Fame. The following year the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame included the act in a permanent exhibition. Shortly before that installation opened, the band began work on a new album, now featuring DeFrantz Forrest in the role of Wicked.
Brown joined Purrell behind the console for the resulting single “Sho’ Nuff,” which expanded the group’s reach and earned them an appearance on Soul Train in 1973. In 1974 the act moved to Shaker Records, the imprint owned by the O’Jays, and issued “Turn On Your Lovelight,” whose reception prompted Motown to sign them. Through the Ju-par subsidiary the group delivered its first album, Sly, Slick & Wicked, in 1976. Extensive road work followed, and additional material was tracked for a planned second Motown/Ju-par release that ultimately remained unreleased. By 1979 the trio had shifted to Epic for the single “All I Want Is You,” though its commercial impact proved limited.
The members continued to perform on an occasional basis through the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s while pursuing separate endeavors, with Stubbs contributing songs, most notably to the O’Jays, and Wilson producing and writing for Janet Jackson and Barry White. In late 2003 the Motown Museum presented Sly, Slick & Wicked with its Men of Motown Award, and the group was later inducted into the Motown Alumni Association Hall of Fame. The following year the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame included the act in a permanent exhibition. Shortly before that installation opened, the band began work on a new album, now featuring DeFrantz Forrest in the role of Wicked.
Albums
Singles