March 2: Angie Stone, a soul and R&B singer behind hits like No More Rain (In This Cloud) and Wish I Didn’t Miss You, died on Saturday morning (Sunday in Australia) in a vehicle collision, her longtime publicist, Yvonne Forbes, told CNN.
Stone was 63.
After performing in Mobile, Alabama on Friday (Saturday in Australia), Stone was with nine people travelling to Atlanta, Georgia in a Sprinter van when the accident occurred, according to her representative. Details on others injured in the collision were not immediately available.
“Angie Stone’s voice and spirit will live on forever in the hearts of those she touched,” a statement from her spokeswoman read. “Details regarding memorial services will be announced by the family in due course.”
Born in Columbia, South Carolina, Stone’s four-decade career in entertainment began in the late ’70s as a member of The Sequence, a pioneering female rap group behind the hit Funk You Up. She later moved on to neo-soul and R&B music as a solo artist with albums including Black Diamond in 1999 and Mahogany Soul in 2001.
In a 2020 interview with The Breakfast Club, Stone talked about her early career aspirations and ability to succeed in several musical genres before it became more common for artists to build crossover appeal.
“I was self-taught. I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was ambitious,” Stone said. “It’s having that bug that say, ‘I’m a rubber band. You can stretch me but I won’t pop. I’m going to always do me.'”
She was nominated for her first Grammy for a track off Mahogany Soul titled More Than a Woman in the best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocal category. In 2004, her track U-Haul – off her third solo album Stone Love – was nominated for best female R&B vocal performance. Her final Grammy nod came in 2007 for her song Baby, off her fourth solo album The Art of Love & War.
Stone was also an actress with just over 40 screen credits. She appeared in notable titles including the TV shows Girlfriends, for which she sang the theme song, Moesha starring Brandy Norwood, and films like The Hot Chick, Scary Movie V and Ride Along. She had one project in post-production, a film titled Abused.
Just weeks ago, Stone reflected on her career and the work she was still planning on creating in a post on social media.
“I’ve been in the game for 50 years. My first solo album is 25 years old. I’ve put in a lot of work over the years,” Stone wrote on Instagram. “God gave me this gift and I have shared it with the world. Even at this point I am asking my creator what is next because I have so much more to give.”
Angie Stone is survived by her son, Michael D’Angelo Archer II, whom she shared with fellow singer D’Angelo. Michael, also known by his stage name Swayvo Twain, is also a recording artist.
— Reported with CNN.
