Entertainment
Grammy Winning Star Beyoncé Got Her Start in Oakland
Beyoncé is one of the greatest female artists of all time.
Like many other artists, during the course of her career with Grammy-award winning group Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé’s big break in the music industry was made possible in Oakland where she worked with legendary producers D’Wayne Wiggins of Tony! Toni! Tone! and Terry-T Butler, aka “Mr. Community.”
In 1994, Wiggins signed the talented group, then Girls Tyme, to his production company, Grass Roots Entertainment. Together, he and Butler worked hard to develop the young singers on their first project, “Destiny’s Child” on Columbia Records – recording, producing and mixing the album in the Lower Bottoms of West Oakland at their House of Music recording studio.
Butler, who is known as a hip hop legend from Oakland, played a major role in the process with his skills in songwriting, leadership, and production. The production duo, both Oakland natives, continued to work with Destiny’s Child, writing and producing songs on their second and third albums, “The Writing’s on the Wall” and “Survivor”.
When asked what it was like working with a superstar, Butler said, “Beyoncé, then age 14, was like a little sister to me who needed some guidance. She was very talented with a great work ethic.”
Wiggins and Butler went on to work with other amazing artists such as Alicia Keys, Jamie Foxx, and Keyshia Cole. Butler has also received much respect in the community for his work with youth sports programs.
Beyoncé later pursued a solo career and is now a Grammy-award winning worldwide superstar in her own right with a series of Number One hits. And, she got her start here in Oakland.
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Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of June 18 – 24, 2025

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IN MEMORIAM: Legendary Funk Pioneer Sly Stone Dies at 82
Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.

By Stacy M. Brown
BlackPressUSA.com Newswire
Sylvester “Sly” Stewart—known to the world as Sly Stone, frontman of the groundbreaking band Sly and the Family Stone—has died at the age of 82.
His family confirmed that he passed away peacefully at his Los Angeles home surrounded by loved ones, after battling chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other health complications.
Born March 15, 1943, in Denton, Texas, Stone moved with his family to Vallejo, California, as a child. He began recording gospel music at age 8 with his siblings in a group called the Stewart Four. By his teenage years, he had mastered multiple instruments and was already pioneering racial integration in music—an ethos that would define his career.
In 1966, Sly and his brother Freddie merged their bands to form Sly and the Family Stone, complete with a revolutionary interracial, mixed-gender lineup.
The band quickly became a commercial and cultural force with hits such as “Dance to the Music,” “Everyday People,” and “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—all penned by Stone himself.
Their album “Stand!” (1969) and live performances—most notably at Woodstock—cemented their reputation, blending soul, funk, rock, gospel, and psychedelia to reflect the optimism and turmoil of their era.
Sly Stone’s musical approach radically reshaped popular music. He transcended genre boundaries and empowered a new generation of artists. The band’s socially conscious message and infectious rhythms sparked a wave of influence, reaching artists as diverse as Miles Davis, George Clinton, Prince, Dr. Dre, and the Roots.
As the 1970s progressed, Stone confronted personal demons. His desire to use music as a response to war, racism, and societal change culminated in the intense album “There’s a Riot Goin’ On” (1971). But drug dependency began to undermine both his health and professional life, leading to erratic behavior and band decline through the early 1980s.
Withdrawn from the public eye for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Stone staged occasional comebacks. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys in 2017, and captured public attention following the 2023 release of his memoir “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”—published under Questlove’s imprint. He also completed a biographical screenplay and was featured in Questlove’s documentary “Sly Lives!” earlier this year.
His influence endured across generations. Critics and historians repeatedly credit him with perfecting funk and creating a “progressive soul,” shaping a path for racial integration both onstage and in the broader culture.
“Rest in beats Sly Stone,” legendary Public Enemy frontman Chuck D posted on social media with an illustrative drawing of the artist. “We should thank Questlove of the Roots for keeping his fire blazing in this century.”
Emmy-winning entertainment publicist Danny Deraney also paid homage. “Rest easy Sly Stone,” Deraney posted. “You changed music (and me) forever. The time he won over Ed Sullivan’s audience in 1968. Simply magical. Freelance music publicist and Sirius XM host Eric Alper also offered a tribute.
“The funk pioneer who made the world dance, think, and get higher,” Alper wrote of Sly Stone. “His music changed everything—and it still does.”
Sly Stone is survived by three children.
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Oakland Post: Week of June 11 – 17, 2025
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