Angie Stone | |
|---|---|
 Stone in 2019 | |
| Born | Angela Laverne Brown (1961-12-18)December 18, 1961 Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | March 1, 2025(2025-03-01) (aged 63) |
| Other names | Angie B. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1979–2025 |
| Spouse(s) | Lil' Rodney C! (m. 1983; div. late 1980s) |
| Partner | D'Angelo (1994–1999) |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments |
|
| Works | Angie Stone discography |
| Labels | |
| Formerly of | |
Musical artist | |
| Website | theangiestone |
Angela Laverne Stone (néeBrown; December 18, 1961 – March 1, 2025) was an American singer-songwriter, rapper, actress, and record producer. With a career spanning over four decades, she has been recognized for her contributions to the development ofhip-hop andneo-soul. Originally known asAngie B., she rose to fame in 1979 as a member ofThe Sequence, the first female music act inhip hop music.
In the early 1990s, she became a member of the R&B groupVertical Hold. By the end of the decade, she pursued a solo career asAngie Stone and signed withArista Records to release her debut solo albumBlack Diamond (1999). The album received a gold certification from theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and spawned the single "No More Rain (In This Cloud)". Afterwards, she co-wroteD'Angelo's albumVoodoo (2000), and released her second album,Mahogany Soul (2001), underJ Records, which spawned the hit single "Wish I Didn't Miss You". It was followed byStone Love (2004) andThe Art of Love & War (2007), the latter becoming her first and only number-one album on the USBillboardTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[1]
Stone ventured into acting in the 2000s, making her film debut in the 2002 comedy filmThe Hot Chick, and her stage debut in 2003, in the role of Big Mama Morton in the Broadway musicalChicago. She then went on to appear in supporting roles in films and television series as well as several musical productions, includingVH1'sCelebrity Fit Club andTV One'sR&B Divas, and movies such asThe Fighting Temptations (2003),Pastor Brown (2009), andSchool Gyrls (2010).[1]
Her accolades included twoSoul Train Lady of Soul Awards and anEdison Award,[1] alongside nominations for threeGrammy Awards and threeSoul Train Music Awards. In 2021, she was honored with the Soul Music Icon Award at the Black Music Honors, followed by her induction into theWomen Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024. Over the course of her career, she earned twoGold-certified studio albums with total solo sales exceeding five million records worldwide.[2][3]
Angela Laverne Brown was born inColumbia, South Carolina, to Iona Williams (née Brown), a hospital technician, and Bobby Williams, a lawyer's assistant and gospel singer.[4] She attended W.A. Perry Middle School and later C.A. Johnson High School. Brown was also a member of the choir at First Nazareth Baptist Church in Columbia where she sang her first solo.
In 1979, Brown formed a femalehip-hop group known as The Sequence. Brown, along with her childhood friends and group mates Gwendolyn Chisolm and Cheryl Cook, attended a concert by hip-hop groupThe Sugarhill Gang.[5][6] The group made their way backstage and metSylvia Robinson who was the CEO of hip hop labelSugar Hill Records.[7][6] They auditioned for Robinson who signed them to the label as their first female act.[6][8] While in the group, Brown adopted the stage nameAngie B. They released their debut single "Funk You Up" in December 1979. The song became one of the first original hip hop songs to be released withoutsampling.[9] "Funk You Up" peaked at number fifteen on theHot Soul Singles.[6][7] In 1980, The Sequence released their debut albumSugarhill presents The Sequence, which received positive reviews from music critics.[10]
In 1981, the group began doing session work for other music acts on Sugar Hill Records. They wrote and provided background vocals for "Sing a Simple Song" and "Let's Dance (Make Your Body Move)" byWest Street Mob, the latter of which peaked at number eighty-eight onBillboard'sHot 100 chart and number eighteen on theHot Soul Singles. In 1982, The Sequence released their self-titled second album, which peaked at number fifty-one on theBlack LPs chart. The album's first single "I Don't Need Your Love (Part One)" peaked at number forty onBillboard's Hot Soul Singles chart. In 1983, they released their third albumThe Sequence Party. The Sequence followed up with the release of their single "I Just Want to Know". In 1985, they released their final singles: "Funk You Up '85" and "Control".
In 1985, the group refused to renew their recording contract after a dispute with Sugar Hill Records CEO Sylvia Robinson.[6] The group's dispute with the label stemmed from not being paid their royalties from the songs they wrote and recorded. The group also felt like the money from their royalties were being used to support other musical acts on Sugar Hill Records.[6] Stone briefly pursued a solo music career and also began working at Kiss-FM radio station in New York.[11] Angie B. began performing asAngie B. Stone and later simplyAngie Stone, carrying the last name of her first husband Rodney "Lil' Rodney C" Stone.
Following her departure from Sugar Hill Records, Stone made attempts to start a solo career.[12] She began writing solo material and booked studio time at her own expense.[12] Through the studio's engineer Gordon Mack III, Stone was introduced to musicians David Bright and Willie Bruno Jr., who were impressed by her songwriting abilities and asked her to write on their songs.[12] While she initially saw the collaboration as just an opportunity to work in the studio for free and have access to a team of musicians, it eventually led to the formation of the R&B/hip hop quartet It's Us.[13] RenamedVertical Hold, they released their first single "Summertime" in 1988 on Criminal Records.[14] The group secured a recording deal withA&M Records.[15] In 1990, Stone performed as the saxophonist forLenny Kravitz's Let Love Rule Tour.
In June 1993, the group released their debut albumA Matter of Time. The album peaked at number thirty-three on the USTop R&B Albums chart, selling over 62,000 copies in the first week of its release.[15] The album's lead single "Seems You're Much Too Busy" peaked at number seventeen on the USHot R&B Singles chart.[15] Their follow-up single "A.S.A.P." peaked at number eighty-three on the US Hot R&B Singles chart.[14] Through their parent labelUniversal Records, Stone was offered a songwriting deal with Midnight Songs LLC. She was eventually brought in to help newly signed singerD'Angelo complete his first albumBrown Sugar.
In early 1995, Stone vocally arranged the single "Freedom (Theme from Panther)", which became the theme song for drama filmPanther. In May 1995, Vertical Hold released their second and final albumHead First.[15] Due to a lack of promotional support from their record label, Vertical Hold parted way at the end of 1995. Also in the same year, Stone toured as a background vocalist for D'Angelo's Brown Sugar Tour. One of their concerts was recorded atJazz Café inLondon, England, on September 14, 1995, and released as D'Angelo's live albumLive at the Jazz Cafe (1998). In 1996, Stone became a featured vocalist forGerry DeVeaux andCharlie Mole who had formed a group called DeVox.[12] The group released an album titledDevox featuring Angie B. Stone, exclusively inJapan.[16] The project caught the attention ofArista Records A&R managerPeter Edge, which lead to Stone being offered a solo recording contract withArista Records.[12][17][18]
In September 1999, Stone released her debut solo albumBlack Diamond on Arista Records.[19]Black Diamond peaked at number forty-six on theBillboard 200 chart and number nine on the US Top R&B Albums chart.[20] The album's lead single, "No More Rain (In This Cloud)", peaked at number fifty-six onBillboard Hot 100 and also became Stone's first number-one song on the USAdult R&B Songs chart, spending ten weeks atop of the chart.[20] The singles "Life Story and "Everyday" peaked in the top twenty on theUK Hip Hop and R&B Singles chart.[21]Black Diamond was eventually certified gold by both theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI).[22][23] Stone also won Best Solo R&B/Soul New Artist and Best Solo R&B/Soul Single for "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" at the2000 Soul Train Music Awards.[24]
In 2000, Stone transitioned from Arista to music managerClive Davis's ventureJ Records.[25] She recorded the theme song for American sitcom television seriesGirlfriends. Stone's second solo album,Mahogany Soul, was released on October 16, 2001.[26] The album debuted and peaked at number twenty-two on the USBillboard 200, selling 71,000 copies in its first week of release.[20][27] The album's lead single, "Brotha", reached number fifty-two on theBillboard Hot 100 chart and number on the US Adult R&B Songs chart.[20] The second single, "Wish I Didn't Miss You", reach the top-ten on the charts in several territories worldwide, including the U.S. on theDance Club Songs chart.[20][28] The song also became certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).[29] The album also produced several additional singles, including "More Than a Woman" and "Bottles and Cans". At the2003 Grammy Awards, "More Than a Woman" received a nomination forBest R&B Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal.[30]Mahogany Soul earned a gold certification by both theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI).[22][31] In November 2001, Stone embarked on theBK Got Music Summer Soul Tour alongsideLuther Vandross,Gerald Levert, andMichelle Williams.[32]
In December 2002, Stone made her theatrical film debut, portraying the character Madame Mambuza alongsideRob Schneider in the comedyThe Hot Chick.[33] The film debuted at number five at the U.S. box office and earned $7 million during its opening weekend.[34] She later starred alongsideCuba Gooding Jr. in the musical comedyThe Fighting Temptations (2003), portraying Alma; a singing laundromat employee. It received mixed reviews from critics andunderperformed at the box office.[35][36] Stone performed several songs for thefilm's soundtrack, including "Rain Down" and "Time to Come Home".[37] Stone made her theatre debut as Matron Mama Morton in theBroadway production ofChicago.[38]
Her third studio album,Stone Love, was released on June 28, 2004, in the U.S. and debuted at number fourteen on theBillboard 200,[20] selling 53,000 copies in its first week.[39]Stone Love included her number one US dance single "I Wanna Thank Ya" and top-twenty USHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs song "U-Haul",[20] the latter which received a nomination forBest Female R&B Vocal Performance at the2005 Grammy Awards.[30] By 2005, Stone became dissatisfied with her record labelJ Records. She released a compilation albumStone Hits: The Very Best of Angie Stone in June 2005, which anthologized her previous singles along with new single "I Wasn't Kidding".[40] Following the release of the compilation album, Stone leftJ Records.[41]
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In 2006, Stone appeared on theVH1's reality television seriesCelebrity Fit Club for the fourth season, which began on August 6, 2006. While on the show, she lost eighteen pounds, the second lowest loss in the history of the show.[42] Later that year, she signed a recording contract withStax Records.[43] In January 2007, Stone embarked on the Sisters in the Spirit Tour alongsideShirley Caesar,Dorinda Clark-Cole,Nicole C. Mullen, andKelly Price.[44] On October 15, 2007, she released her fourth albumThe Art of Love & War.[45] The album debuted at number eleven on theBillboard 200, selling 45,000 copies in its first week, becoming Stone's highest-charting album to date, as well as her first and only album to top theTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[46] The album's lead single, "Baby", a duet withBetty Wright, became her second number-one hit on the US Adult R&B Songs chart. The singles "Sometimes" and "Pop Pop" both peaked within the top thirty on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, respectively.[20] The song "Baby" earned a nomination forBest R&B Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocal at50th Annual Grammy Awards in 2008.[30]
In April 2009, she released a cover of "Wade in the Water" for the soundtrack of the documentary filmSoundtrack for a Revolution.[47][48] Stone continued to expand her acting career by portraying strip-club owner Rick Fredericks in thedrama filmPastor Brown (2009).[49] In November 2009, she released her fifth albumUnexpected.[50] "I Ain't Hearin' U", the album's lead single, reached number fourteen onBillboard's Adult R&B Songs.[20] In May 2011, Stone co-starred in the stage productionLoving Him is Killing Me.[51] In the summer of 2012, Stone also toured nationally in aHinton Battle production ofLove Lies.[52] In September 2012, she released her sixth albumRich Girl onSaguaro Road Records.[53][54] The following year, she joined the cast ofTVOne'sR&B Divas: Atlanta.[55][56][57][58][59]
In 2014, Stone began working with music producer Walter Millsap III on her next album.[60] In November 2015, she released her seventh albumDream onShanachie Entertainment.[61][62] Received well by music critics,[63] the album debuted at number fifty-nine on the USBillboard 200 and number three on the US Top Hip-Hop/R&B Albums chart,[20][64] her highest-charting album sinceThe Art of Love & War (2007). The album's lead single "2 Bad Habits" peaked at number twenty on the Adult R&B Songs chart.[20] The following year, she released her eighth albumCovered in Soul onGoldenlane Records in August 2016. The album featuredcover versions of popular R&B and soul music songs. In the same year, she co-starred alongsideRodney Perry in the drama filmTo Love the Soul of a Woman.[65]
Stone changed labels again for her 2019 albumFull Circle, which saw her reteaming with her collaborators from theDream album and was issued through Conjunction Entertainment in partnershipCleopatra Records. Released to generally positive reviews,[66] it debuted and peaked at number 34 on the USIndependent Albums chart and produced the Adult R&B songs top 30 hit "Dinosaur."[67]
In 2021, she co-starred in the comedy filmEntanglement.[68]Love Language, her tenth and final solo album, was released in May 2023 through Conjunction and SoNo Recordιng.[69] Once again largely penned by Milsap and his team, it failed to chart but was met with a warm response from music critics, who noted a slight increase of grain in Stone's voice.[70] Also in 2023, she scored a supporting role in the Urbanflix television seriesHeaux Phase, in which she played the main character's mother,[71] and appeared as a featured vocalist on singerDamon Little's song "No Stressing," which peaked at number one on USGospel Airplay chart in early 2024, becoming her first song to do so.[72]
In November 2024, Stone released her final single "All I'm Missing", which featured J. Brown and Juanita Wynn.[73] In December 2024, Stone made an announcement via live stream that she was preparing to sueUniversal Records for unpaid royalties.[74]
Stone was killed in acar crash nearMontgomery, Alabama, on March 1, 2025, at the age of 63.[75] She and her band members were traveling in aMercedes-Benz Sprinter van toAtlanta following aMardi Gras concert inMobile, Alabama, when it overturned onInterstate 65. The stationary vehicle was then hit by aFreightliner Cascadiasemi-trailer truck while the passengers were trying to exit. Stone was the only fatality.[76][77][78][79]
Numerous musicians and cultural figures reacted to Stone's death.[80][81][82] Stone's funeral was held on March 14, 2025, at the Word of Faith Cathedral inAustell, Georgia. The memorial service was televised andlive streamed.[83]Kirk Franklin,Anthony Hamilton,Tamela Mann,Darlene McCoy, andKeke Wyatt performed at the memorial, and formerSequence groupmates Cheryl "the Pearl" Cook and Gwendolyn "Blondy" Chisholm gave tearful eulogies.[84]Tyler Perry receiving a standing ovation with cheers when he addressed the crowd: "I'm tired of seeing us struggle. All of those years, all of those songs, all of that money that was owed to her — where is it? It’s wrong, this is wrong, and I’m tired of seeing us struggle and go through things and work hard and not reap the benefits of what we were supposed to reap. Fair is not too much to ask."[85] In June 2025,Brittney Spencer performed "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" at theBET Awards 2025.[86] A second ceremony was held in her hometown, Columbia, South Carolina, on March 15, 2025. However, theBET Awards came under fire as Stone was not mentioned or featured during the "In Memoriam" segment of the show; a tribute honoring and remembering Black entertainers who died from 2024 through 2025.[87] Historic Columbia, a non-profit organization in the hometown of Angie Stone, organized a special tribute act dedicated to Angie Stone for the annual Jubilee: Festival of Black History & Culture which took place on September 20, 2025.[88]
On September 2, 2025, awrongful death lawsuit was filed inGwinnett County State Court that contained allegations that Stone was alive after theSprinter van she was in overturned, she tried to escape, and the tractor-trailer truck that crashed into the van caused her death.[76][89] The lawsuit defendants include the drivers and owners of both the truck and the van, the truck manufacturerDaimler Truck North America, the truck driver Jared Wilkinson, and the van driver Leethel Carter, as well as the producer of thecollision mitigation system that was in the truck.[76][89]
Stone's music catalog earned over 621,000 official on-demand American music streams in the week preceding her death from February 21 to February 27.[90] During the week of her death, the figure rose 1,263% to over 8.4 million official streams.[90] Her song "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" became one of her biggest streaming song during the week of her death, collecting 2.1 million official on-demand American streams — a 538% boost from the week prior.[90] The song "Wish I Didn't Miss You" rose 1,008% during the week of February 28 to March 6, collecting 1.44 million official on-demand American streams.[90] Her song "Brotha" also experienced one of the biggest streaming boosts in Stone's catalog following her death. During the week of February 21 and February 27, the song earned just over 42,000 official on-demand American steams. The following week, that figure leapt 2,026% to over 907,000 official streams.[90] Additionally, all three songs debuted in the top five of theR&B Digital Song Sales chart dated March 15: "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" debuted at number one, "Wish I Didn't Miss You" debuted at number two, and "Brotha" debuted at number five.[20] The former two remained on the chart for two weeks.[20]
In 1980, Stone began dating rapper Lil' Rodney C! of the hip-hop groupFunky Four Plus One More. In 1983, the couple married without publicity. In 1984, Stone gave birth to her daughter Diamond Stone, who became a singer and songwriter. Stone eventually named her first solo albumBlack Diamond after her daughter. In late 1980s, Stone and Lil' Rodney C! divorced. In the early 1990s, Stone began dating her Vertical Hold groupmate David Bright. The couple's relationship began to dissolve in 1992. In response, Stone wrote the song "Seems You're Much Too Busy", which became the lead single of Vertical Hold's debut albumA Matter of Time.
In 1994, Stone began dating singerD'Angelo after the couple met while working on his first albumBrown Sugar. Inspired by their relationship, the couple wrote several songs together, including "Send It On". In 1997, Stone gave birth to their son Michael Archer Jr, who became a musician who performs under the stage name Swayvo Twain.[91] In 1999, Stone ended her relationship with D'Angelo, citing infidelity after the birth of his second child. In 2009, she began dating Ashanti Graves who became her manager. Although the couple became engaged, the relationship ended when Stone discovered that Graves had an alleged affair with a staff member of the production crew on the set ofR&B Divas: Atlanta.[92]
In 2009, Stone disclosed that she was diagnosed withType 2 diabetes in 1999.[93] She later became part of the F.A.C.E Diabetes (Fearless African-Americans Connected and Empowered) program sponsored byEli Lilly and Company,[5][94] which helps African Americans understand their risk for diabetes and how to control it.[95] Stone said that both her mother and her mother's sister were diabetic.[96][97]
Stone founded a national non-profit organization called Angel Stripes.[98] The organization aimed to bring awareness of the arts to local communities and preserve art programs for the youth.[99] The organization also aimed to protect the voting rights of senior citizens.[99]
Angie Stone has been recognized as a pioneer of bothhip-hop andneo soul music.[100][101] As part of the female hip hop groupThe Sequence, Stone became one of the first female rappers to have an original hip-hop record "Funk You Up" sell over a half of a million copies worldwide, as well as to be released on vinyl by a female act.[102] "Funk You Up" has become one of the most frequentlysampled songs in music history, most notably inhip hop music.[103]
In June 2021, Stone was presented with the Soul Music Icon Award at the Black Music Honors.[104] In June 2024, Stone was inducted into theWomen Songwriters Hall of Fame.[105] An honorary member ofZeta Phi Beta sorority, she was also inducted at the sorority's Boulé inIndianapolis, Indiana in July 2024.[106] In September 2025, Stone was selected for induction into theNational Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame due to her trailblazing 45-year career.[107]
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | The Hot Chick | Madame Mambuza |
| 2003 | The Fighting Temptations | Alma |
| 2008 | Caught on Tape | Diane |
| 2009 | Pastor Brown | Rick Fredericks |
| 2010 | School Gyrls | Headmaster Jones |
| 2010 | Baby Mama's Club | Mrs. Jackson |
| 2012 | The Wonder Girls | Betty |
| 2012 | A Cross to Bear | Sunshine |
| 2013 | Dreams | Marlene |
| 2014 | Ride Along | Market Shopper |
| 2016 | To Love the Soul of a Woman | Ursula Sanders |
| 2021 | Entanglement | Sadie |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Moesha | Herself | "D-Money Loses His Patience" (season 5, episode 22) |
| 2002 | Girlfriends | Darla Mason | "Blinded by the Lights" (season 3, episode 7) |
| 2004 | One on One | Herself | "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Hip Hop World" (season 3, episode 14) |
| 2008 | Lincoln Heights | Octavia | "Prom Night" (season 3, episode 9) "The Ground Beneath Our Feet" (season 3, episode 10) |
| 2013–2014 | R&B Divas: Atlanta | Herself | (season 2 – 3, main) |
| 2014 | Celebrity Wife Swap | Herself | 1 episode |
| 2023 | Heaux Phase | Margaret |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Chicago | Big Mama Morton |
| 2011 | Loving Him Is Killing Me | Mutha |
| 2013 | Love Lies | Victoria Davis |
|
|
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards | Best Solo R&B/Soul New Artist | Angie Stone | Won | [24] |
| Best Solo R&B/Soul Single | "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" | Won | |||
| 2000 | Soul Train Music Awards | Best New Artist | Angie Stone | Nominated | [108] |
| 2001 | MOBO Awards | Best Jazz Act | Angie Stone | Nominated | [109] |
| 2002 | Soul Train Music Awards | Best R&B/Soul Single – Female | "Brotha" | Nominated | [110] |
| 2003 | Black Reel Awards | Best Original or Adapted Song | "Bring Your Heart" (fromBrown Sugar) | Nominated | [111] |
| 2003 | DanceStar Awards | Best Chart Act | Angie Stone | Nominated | [112] |
| Best Remix Award | "Wish I Didn't Miss You" | Nominated | |||
| 2003 | Grammy Awards | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | "More Than a Woman" (withJoe) | Nominated | [113] |
| 2003 | Soul Train Music Awards | Best R&B/Soul Album – Female | Mahogany Soul | Nominated | [111] |
| 2004 | Edison Awards | R&B/Hip Hop | Stone Love | Won | [114] |
| 2005 | Grammy Awards | Best Female R&B Vocal Performance | "U-Haul" | Nominated | [113] |
| 2008 | Grammy Awards | Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals | "Baby" (withBetty Wright) | Nominated | [113] |
| 2008 | BET Awards | BET Centric Award | Angie Stone | Nominated | [115] |
| 2021 | Black Music Honors | Soul Music Icon Award | Angie Stone | Won | [116] |
'My mom was a diabetic. Her sister was a diabetic, so I was already a candidate,' said Stone.
