AUSTELL, Ga. (AP) - A memorial service for the Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone is scheduled for Friday at 11 a.m. at Word of Faith Cathedral in Austell, Georgia, located just west of Atlanta. This comes after Stone tragically lost her life in a car crash on March 1, south of Montgomery, Alabama. According to her longtime manager, Walter Millsap III, the cargo van she was traveling in flipped over and was subsequently struck by a truck. While everyone else in the van survived, Stone, who was 63, did not. Following her death, numerous online tributes from fans and fellow artists flooded social media.
Additionally, a service will take place on Saturday at First Nazareth Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina, which is her hometown. Stone was born in Columbia and grew up surrounded by music; her mother often sang at home, while her father performed gospel and blues in local venues. Stone’s musical career began early, and her contributions to the industry have been significant.
She was a member of The Sequence, an all-female hip-hop trio that made waves as the first female group on the influential Sugar Hill Records label. They recorded the hit song “Funk You Up,” which has been sampled by prominent artists including Dr. Dre. Following her success in the early 1980s with The Sequence, Stone joined Vertical Hold before embarking on a solo career that solidified her status in the music industry.
Stone is best known for several hits, including “No More Rain (In This Cloud),” which dominated Billboard’s Adult R&B airplay chart for ten weeks, as well as “Baby,” a collaboration with the legendary soul singer Betty Wright. Other notable singles from her discography include “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” and “Brotha.” Stone found a niche in the neo-soul genre during the early 2000s, alongside contemporaries like Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Maxwell, and D’Angelo.
Her 2001 album, "Mahagony Soul," reached No. 22 on the Billboard 200, while her 2007 release, "The Art of Love & War," peaked at No. 11. Throughout her career, Stone received accolades such as a Soul Train Lady of Soul award. Beyond her music career, she showcased her versatility as an actress, appearing in films such as “The Hot Chick,” “The Fighting Temptations,” which featured Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé, and “Ride Along,” starring Ice Cube and Kevin Hart.
Stone also graced the Broadway stage, taking on the role of Big Mama Morton in the musical "Chicago." Moreover, she participated in reality television, appearing in shows like “Celebrity Fit Club” and “R&B Divas: Atlanta,” where she demonstrated her personal and artistic vulnerabilities. Angie Stone's influence on R&B and her contributions to popular music will be remembered as her memorial services take place this week.
