Our Tribute to Angie Stone (1961-2025)

With a career spanning more than four decades, Angie Stone has become one of the most respected and influential artists within contemporary soul music.

Born Angela Laverne Brown on December 18, 1961, in Columbia, South Carolina, Angie Stone was an acclaimed American singer-songwriter, actress, and record producer widely recognized for her soulful voice and significant contributions to R&B, soul, neo-soul, and hip-hop music. With a career spanning more than four decades, Stone has become one of the most respected and influential artists within contemporary soul music.

Stone’s musical journey began in the late 1970s when she became a founding member of The Sequence—one of the first female rap groups signed to Sugar Hill Records. The Sequence achieved early success with their pioneering single “Funk You Up,” released in 1979. This groundbreaking track helped pave the way for future generations of women in hip-hop.

In the early 1990s, Angie Stone transitioned from hip-hop into R&B as part of the group Vertical Hold. The band gained attention with their hit single “Seems You’re Much Too Busy,” showcasing Stone’s powerful vocals and songwriting abilities. Her tenure with Vertical Hold laid the foundation for her eventual solo career.

Stone’s solo breakthrough came in 1999 with her debut album Black Diamond, which featured standout singles such as “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” and “Everyday.” The album was critically praised for its fusion of classic soul influences with contemporary R&B production styles. It established Angie Stone as a leading figure within the emerging neo-soul movement alongside artists like Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Maxwell, D’Angelo (with whom she shares a son), and Lauryn Hill.

She continued to build upon this success with her sophomore album Mahogany Soul (2001), widely regarded as one of her finest works. Featuring hits like “Wish I Didn’t Miss You,” which sampled The O’Jays’ classic song “Back Stabbers,” this album further solidified her reputation as an emotive vocalist capable of blending heartfelt lyrics with smooth melodies. Subsequent albums including Stone Love (2004), featuring collaborations with artists such as Snoop Dogg and Anthony Hamilton; The Art of Love & War (2007); Unexpected (2009); and later releases like Rich Girl (2012), Dream (2015), Full Circle (2019), and Love Language (2023) showcased her versatility while consistently earning critical acclaim.

Throughout her extensive career, Angie Stone has collaborated with numerous legendary musicians across genres—including Prince, Stevie Wonder, Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys—and earned multiple Grammy nominations recognizing vocal performance excellence and songwriting prowess. Beyond music recording studios or concert stages worldwide where she regularly performs live shows filled with energy-driven performances rooted deeply within gospel-inspired vocal traditions—Stone also ventured successfully into acting roles appearing on television series (Girlfriends, Lincoln Heights, Moesha) films (The Fighting Temptations, Pastor Brown), reality TV programs (R&B Divas: Atlanta), theater productions (Chicago), demonstrating remarkable versatility beyond just musical talents alone.

We will miss you, Angie Stone.