In Memoriam: Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Angie Stone passes away at 63

Angie Stone, a singer, songwriter, who founded the female rap group The Sequence, and later helped pioneer the neo-soul sound, has died.

According to the late star’s representative, Stone died as a result of a fatal car accident early Saturday morning in Montgomery, Alabama.

She was 63.

Car crash claims Angie Stone’s life

At the time of the crash, Stone and members of her band were headed to Atlanta after a performance the night before in Mobile, Alabama, according to a statement from the independent label SRG-ILS. An 18-wheeler struck the Mercedes sprinter van Stone was a passenger in, causing it to flip, according to the statement.

Stone was the only occupant to pass away from the accident.

The singer had been scheduled to travel to Baltimore for a halftime performance at the CIAA basketball conference on Saturday afternoon.

“Never in a million years did we ever expect to get this horrible news,” they said in a statement. “Our mom is and will always be our everything. We are still trying to process and are completely heartbroken.”

Angie Stone’s music and entertainment career

Stone, born Angela Laverne Brown on Dec. 18, 1961, in Columbia, South Carolina, got her start in music at a young age singing gospel in church.

Her first rise to notoriety was with the female rap group The Sequence, which she co-founded, known for their 1979 hit “Funk You Up.”

Angie Stone was a neo soul pioneer

In the late 1990s, Stone would gain a new generation of fans, helping pioneer the neo-soul sound, alongside artists like Jill Scott, Erykah Badu and Musiq Soulchild.

She had several No. 1 hits on the Adult R&B charts including “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” in 1999, which sampled Gladys Knight and the Pips’ “Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Good Bye)” and “Wish I Didn’t Miss You” in 2002.

In 2001, Stone released the song “Brotha“, which was an ode to Black men.

Awards

Stone is a Grammy nominated artist for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group for the duet “More Than a Woman” with Calvin Richardson from her 2001 album “Mahogany Soul” and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for the song “U-Haul” from her 2004 album “Stone Love.” A collaboration with soul icon Betty Wright called “Baby” gained her a third Grammy nomination.

Movies

She also dabbled in acting, making appearances in movies such as “The Fighting Temptations” and “Scary Movie 5” and TV shows, such as “Girlfriends”, which she sang the theme song for the series.

Stone is survived by a daughter, Diamond Stone, and a son, Michael D’Angelo Archer II.