Singer Angie Stone, known as a co-founder of hip-hop trio The Sequence and for her solo R&B hits like “Wish I Didn’t Miss You,” has died. She was 63.
A publicist for Stone confirmed in a press release that she died on Saturday, March 1. According to TMZ, Stone’s representative Deborah R. Champagne said she was killed in a car crash as she was leaving a performance in Montgomery, Ala.
Additionally, Stone’s daughter, Ladi Diamond, confirmed the news of her death in a Facebook post, writing on Saturday: “My mommy is gone.”
TMZ reported that no further details are known about the crash at this point.
Stone was born Angela Laverne Brown on Dec. 18, 1961, in Columbia, S.C. Her music career began when she co-founded The Sequence alongside her high school friends Cheryl Cook, known as “Cheryl the Pearl” and Gwendolyn Chisolm, known as “Blondy.” The trio is often credited as one of the first female hip-hop groups and their 1979 track “Funk You Up” has remained a classic in rap since the 1970s, according to Rolling Stone.
In the 1990s, Stone made the switch to R&B, first performing as a part of the group Vertical Hold before going solo. In 1999, she released her debut solo record Black Diamond, which featured the hit “No More Rain (In This Cloud).” In 2001, she released Mahogany Soul, and her hit “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” from the album is still considered a classic today.
Stone also was known as a successful songwriter, collaborating with stars including D’Angelo, Alicia Keys and Lenny Kravitz, per Variety.
Outside of music, she had a substantial film and TV career, appearing on reality series including VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club and R&B Divas: Atlanta. She also had several acting roles, including in movies like The Hot Chick and The Fighting Temptations, and also made her Broadway debut in 2003 in the musical Chicago.
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Over the course of her decades-long career, Stone released 10 total solo albums and was nominated for three Grammys, including best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals in 2003 and best female R&B vocal performance in 2004. Last year, she was inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In 2020, Stone spoke candidly about her early career and love for many different genres of music during an interview with the radio show The Breakfast Club.
“I was self-taught. I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was ambitious,” Stone said at the time, per CNN. “It’s having that bug that says, ‘I’m a rubber band. You can stretch me but I won’t pop. I’m going to always do me.’ “
The singer is survived by her daughter Ladi, son Michael D’Angelo Archer II (whom she shared with D’Angelo) and two grandchildren.
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