Larry Graham

Larry Graham is an American bassist, singer, and songwriter best known as a pioneering figure in funk. He rose to fame in the late 1960s as a member of Sly and the Family Stone, and he’s widely credited with developing the slap-bass technique—an aggressive, percussive style that helped redefine what the electric bass could do in popular music.

After his time with Sly and the Family Stone, Graham formed the band Graham Central Station in the 1970s, scoring hits and becoming a key name in the classic funk era. Over the years he’s continued releasing music and collaborating with major artists, and he’s frequently cited as an influence by generations of bass players across funk, R&B, rock, and beyond.