Taylor Swift Wasn’t the First to Get Married at Madison Square Garden. Sly Stone Did It on Stage in 1974 in Front of 23,000 Fans
Sly Stone’s own pitch, from his memoir: “I could do a gig, get paid, and get married at the same time.” He left a message for his producer asking him to “make my wedding the biggest event this year.”
Bishop B.R. Stewart married Sly and 21-year-old model Kathy Silva mid-concert on June 5, 1974, after Eddie Kendricks opened. The couple already had a young son together, Sylvester Jr. Sly kept his aviator sunglasses on through the vows.
Halston was paid $10,000 to dress the wedding, more than 30 looks in all: a gold jumpsuit and cape for Sly, a matching gold halter gown for Kathy, and outfits for family and the 12 models in the bridal procession. Invitations went out with a “Wear Something Gold” dress code.
The rings were less precious. Best man Stephen Paley bought the wedding bands at Lamston’s five-and-dime for 59 cents each, price tags still attached.
The original plan was bigger. Sly wanted 500 white doves released inside the arena and model Donyale Luna suspended overhead as a “black angel” scattering gold glitter. The Garden demanded a $125,000 security bond and the ASPCA threatened to arrest the planner over the doves, so both were scrapped.
The reception moved to the Waldorf-Astoria, with Andy Warhol, Halston, and Diane von Furstenberg among the guests. Sly and Kathy separated within months and divorced around 1976.
The question stopped hanging over Madison Square Garden this July 4 weekend: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married on July 3, 2026, with multi-day celebrations around the arena. Taylor Swift‘s father Scott Swift was reportedly involved in financial planning for the union.
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