My music playlist for today (July 13, 2012 edition)

Promotional photo of Sly & the Family Stone fo... — Promotional photo of Sly & the Family Stone for Rolling Stone, 1970 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As we get to the end of a “week of renegades,” I’ll put some soul and funk into the mix by turning to Sly Stone.

Sly and the Family Stone are classified as being among the pioneers of late 1960s and early ’70s funk, helping to blaze a trail for musicians who would come along later and continue to push the trail onward — like Prince and Rick James.

They helped to bridge racial barriers, not just by incorporating black and white musicians in the band but also by appealing to whites as much as they did blacks.

Sing it now, if you know the tune … “We got to live together … IIIIIII am everyday people …”

Sly Stone and his bandmates have seen big ups, and they’ve seen some low downs. The classic Family songs will always be treasured.