
Angie Stone performing in Stockholm, 2010The music and entertainment industry is saddened and shocked over the tragic death of neo-soul singer Angie Stone. The soulful voice behind timeless hits like “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” and “Wish I Didn’t Miss You,” Ms. Stone was killed early March 1 in a car crash. She was 63.
She had done a show in Montgomery, Alabama, and was headed to Atlanta when the vehicle she was riding in “flipped over and was subsequently hit by a big rig,” music producer and Ms. Stone’s longtime manager Walter Millsap III told the Associated Press in an email. Everyone else in the cargo van survived, he said.
The Alabama Highway Patrol said in a news release that the 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van turned over on Interstate 65 about 4:25 a.m. Saturday before being hit by a 2021 Freightliner Cascadia truck driven by a 33-year-old Texas man. Ms. Stone was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ms. Stone was scheduled to perform at the halftime show of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Men’s Championship basketball game on Saturday. CIAA Chaplain Pastor Jerome Barber called for a moment of silence at the game.
Born Angela Laverne Brown on December 18, 1961, in Columbia, South Carolina, Ms. Stone’s passion for music began at a young age. Music had been a part of her life since she was a child, with her mother singing around the house and her father singing gospel and blues at spots around town, Ms. Stone told the AP in a 1999 interview. “I’m an only child, so my dad and my mom are my life, and when I was a kid I’d look up to my dad,” she said. “He was very influential in what I wanted to do.”
Years later, after being hospitalized for congestive heart failure, she changed her life, dropped more than 40 pounds and started eating better, she told the AP. At the time, she said she was just happy to be alive and making music.
Ms. Stone made her mark in the late 1990s with the release of her debut album “Black Diamond.” As an artist, Ms. Stone was celebrated for her unique blend of R&B, soul, jazz and gospel influences, creating music that was both deeply personal and universally relatable. Her distinctive sound not only resonated with listeners but also helped shape the genre of neosoul, alongside artists like Erykah Badu, D’Angelo and Maxwell.
Over the years, Ms. Stone released a series of acclaimed albums, including “Mahogany Soul,” “Stone Love” and “The Art of Love & War,” each reflecting her growth as an artist and her unwavering commitment to storytelling.
Her
music explored themes of love, self-empowerment and personal
resilience, establishing her as not just a singer but an icon of the
genre.
Beyond her solo
career, Angie Stone’s influence extended to her work as a songwriter
and producer, collaborating with a range of artists across genres,
including Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill. She was also an
advocate for mental healthcare and women’s rights, using her platform to
address important societal issues through both her music and public
appearance.
The loss
of Ms. Stone is profound, felt not only by her family and friends but by
her millions of fans worldwide. Her longtime friend, Jawn Murray, TV
host and executive producer of “Sherri,” said, “Angie Stone was one of
one. Not only did she have a distinctively soulful voice that helped
shape what was called the neo-soul movement of the early 2000s, but she
never got enough credit for being in the first hiphop group, the
Sequence. Amazingly talented, incredibly loyal, genuinely loving and an
unapologetic woman of God. I’m going to miss my friend, but I’m grateful
she knew I loved her.”
Ms.
Stone is survived by her daughter, Diamond, from her marriage to Rodney
Stone (also known as Lil’ Rodney C! of the hiphop group “Funky Four
Plus One”).
Diamond
contributed background vocals to her mother’s 2007 song “Baby.” Diamond
has two children, making Ms. Stone a grandmother. Her son, Michael
D’Angelo Archer II, was born in 1998 during her relationship with
neo-soul singer D’Angelo. Michael, also known by his stage name “Swayvo
Twain,” has pursued a career in music.
While
the world has lost a brilliant artist, her voice remains timeles, and
her contributions to the music industry will never be forgotten. Rest in
peace, Angie Stone. Your soul will live on forever in the music you
left behind.