MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Followers are remembering the voice and songs of trailblazer Angie Stone after her dying at 63 in a weekend crash on an Alabama freeway as she traveled from a efficiency.
The Grammy-nominated R&B singer was a member of the all-female hip-hop trio The Sequence and recognized for the hit tune “Wish I Didn’t Miss You.” She discovered a candy spot within the early 2000s as neo-soul started to dominate R&B.
In a latest Instagram submit, Stone informed followers she was enthusiastic about upcoming occasions and “getting back in the mix.”
“A lot of stuff is going on that I don’t want to just let out of the bag just yet,” she mentioned. “But you can see that there’s a big grin on my face.”
The tributes to Stone on social media included one from rap artist MC Hammer, who posted a video that includes Stone’s tune “Brotha,” writing “I can’t tell you how many days this song blessed my Soul. R.I.P. Angie Stone.”
Actor and singer Jennifer Hudson expressed disbelief in a social media submit.
“What a loss !!! Angie Stone was a true pioneer,” Hudson wrote. “Another one of our great soul singers gone too soon. Prayers up for her family and loved ones!”
The Alabama Freeway Patrol mentioned the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van that Stone was touring in overturned on Interstate 65 early Saturday earlier than being hit by a 2021 Freightliner Cascadia truck. Stone was pronounced lifeless on the scene, the freeway patrol mentioned in a press release.
The crash occurred about 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of the Montgomery metropolis limits. The van’s driver and 7 others have been taken to a hospital for therapy. Officers proceed to analyze the crash.
The singer-songwriter created hits like “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” which reached No. 1 for 10 weeks on Billboard’s Grownup R&B airplay chart, “Baby” with legendary soul singer Betty Wright, one other No. 1 hit, and “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” and “Brotha.” Her 2001 album “Mahagony Soul” reached No. 22 on the Billboard 200, whereas 2007’s “The Art Of Love & War” peaked at No. 11.
“Rest in Power, Angie Stone. A true pioneer, a soulful storyteller, and a voice that helped shape the sound of R&B,” the NAACP Picture Awards posted on social media.
The church-grown singer was born in Columbia, South Carolina. She helped kind The Sequence, the primary all-female group on the hip-hop trailblazing imprint Sugar Hill Information, changing into one of many first feminine teams to file a rap tune. The group’s “Funk You Up,” which has been sampled by quite a few artists, together with Dr. Dre. Stone later joined the trio Vertical Maintain earlier than launching her solo profession.
Actor and comic Jamie Foxx mentioned Stone could be missed “painfully.”
“I know they say that God doesn’t make any mistakes… but man this one hurts…,” Foxx mentioned. “Angie Stone was an incredible songwriter, and incredible artist and incredible person … never thought in 1 million years that this would happen…”
Stone was additionally remembered by the Rev. Bernice King, daughter of the late Martin Luther King Jr. and CEO of the King Middle.
“So heartbreaking” King posted on social media. “Rest well, soul sister. #AngieStone”
Stone’s efficiency on the Cell Space Mardi Gras Affiliation’s Grand Marshal’s Ball on Friday evening was “nothing short of phenomenal,” in line with the group’s president, Isadore B. Sims. In a press release, Sims mentioned they might cherish recollections of Stone’s expertise and heat spirit.
“Her talent captivated everyone in attendance, and her presence truly elevated the event,” Sims mentioned. “Never could we have imagined that it would be the last time we would have the honor of witnessing her perform.”
On the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Affiliation’s males’s championship basketball sport in Baltimore on Saturday, the place Stone was scheduled to carry out throughout halftime, Chaplain Pastor Jerome Barber referred to as for a second of silence.
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority mourned the lack of their sorority sister.
“Renowned for her contributions to the R&B and neo-soul genres, Stone’s music has resonated with fans for decades,” the sorority mentioned in a press release, remembering her diabetes consciousness efforts and work with the sorority’s Elder Care initiatives and Zetas Serving to Different Folks Excel.
