“We Weren’t Ready for This”: GMA Anchors Choke Up as They Say Goodbye to Studio and Honor Sly Stone’s Death

For decades, the Good Morning America studio in Times Square has been more than just a television set—it’s been a second home, a stage for history, and a gathering place for some of the most iconic cultural moments of our time.

But this week, something shifted. The energy changed.

And on Tuesday morning, that change hit hard.

The GMA family—Robin Roberts, Michael Strahan, George Stephanopoulos, Lara Spencer, and Sam Champion—paused the show to deliver a tribute. Not just to the past… but to a legend, and to a place.

“We’re reacting to some more tough news,” Sam Champion said quietly, glancing at Robin. “The death of Sly Stone.”

The mood in the studio shifted. The backdrop of bright lights and polished scripts gave way to something far more real—grief, nostalgia, and reverence.

Sly Stone, the groundbreaking frontman of Sly and the Family Stone, passed away at 82 after a long battle with COPD. For many, his music was the soundtrack of the civil rights movement, the soul of the 60s and 70s, and the pulse that shaped generations.

Robin Roberts gently took the lead: “We’re going to celebrate the life of Sly Stone.”

And they did.

Sam delivered a heartfelt retrospective, remembering a man whose brilliance once shook the world—and whose silence in later years only made his comeback more remarkable. “He had a third act in him,” Sam said, eyes glistening. “He never lost the ability to captivate those of us who loved music.”

As footage rolled of “Dance to the Music” and “Everyday People,” the studio transformed. It became a memorial. A sacred space of memory and gratitude.

But the sorrow wasn’t just about Sly.

This tribute came during GMA’s final week at its iconic Times Square studio. The team is moving to a brand-new facility in Hudson Square, leaving behind a location that has been part of their lives—and ours—for years.

Michael Strahan said it best: “It’s a whole new beginning.”

But beginnings always come with endings.

Lara Spencer’s voice cracked as she said, “We’re packing up. I can’t believe it.”

There was a visible weight in the room—not just because of Sly’s passing, but because change was here. You could see it in the hosts’ faces: the memories, the laughter, the breaking news stories, the hard mornings and heartfelt interviews, all tied to the glass walls and city views of Times Square.

And perhaps that’s why this moment resonated so deeply. It wasn’t just about one man’s legacy—it was about legacy itself.

About the power of a song to carry a generation.

About the strength of a studio to hold space for truth.

And about the quiet ache of moving forward when the past still has a hold on your heart.

Sly Stone may be gone, but his message lives on. Just as the Times Square studio may be closing, but its stories will echo through Hudson Square and beyond.

As the show came back from commercial, Robin smiled and said softly, “Thank you, Sam.”

In that smile, you could feel it all—loss, love, and the courage to keep showing up.

Because that’s what legends do.

And that’s what morning families, like GMA, have always done.