Angie Stone
- Born Angela Laverne Brown on December 18, 1961, in Columbia, South Carolina, Stone began singing gospel music at First Nazareth Baptist Church, influenced by her father’s involvement in a local gospel quartet.
- In the late 1970s, Stone formed the rap trio The Sequence, one of the first female hip-hop acts. Their 1979 single “Funk You Up” became a hit, reaching number 15 on the US Top Black Singles chart.
- In the early 1990s, she joined the R&B group Vertical Hold, known for the hit “Seems You’re Much Too Busy,” before launching her solo career.
- Stone’s debut solo album, Black Diamond (1999), featured the hit “No More Rain (In This Cloud).” Her follow-up, Mahogany Soul (2001), included the popular track “Wish I Didn’t Miss You.”
- Throughout her career, she collaborated with artists like D’Angelo, Lenny Kravitz, Mary J. Blige, and Bruno Mars.
- Stone received three Grammy nominations, won two Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, and was inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2024.
- Beyond music, she appeared in films like The Fighting Temptations and TV shows such as Girlfriends. Stone was also a strong advocate for women in music.
- Her tenth and final studio album, Love Language, was released on May 19, 2023, featuring collaborations with Musiq Soulchild and her son, Swayvo Twain.
- Angie Stone passed away in a car accident near Montgomery, Alabama, on March 1, 2025, at the age of 63.