Award-winning soul singer Angie Stone died in a car accident early Saturday morning at age 63, a representative for Stone confirmed to Urban Hollywood 411.
The March 1 collision occurred on Interstate 65 just south of Montgomery, Alabama.
Stone and members of her band were returning to Atlanta after performing the night before in Mobile, Alabama, when their Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van collided with an 18-wheeler truck, according to the singer’s spokesperson Ra-Fael Blanco of 2R’s Entertainment & Media PR. Stone was pronounced dead at the scene.
“We are truly devastated at this unexpected and unfortunate tragedy, and there are simply no words to express how we feel,” Stone’s longtime manager Walter Millsapp III said in a statement to Urban Hollywood 411.
Related: Angie Stone’s Children ‘Trying to Process’ the Singer’s Death
Stone was a passenger in the van, Lt. Jeremy Burkett of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency told USA Today. Eight others in the Sprinter suffered unknown injuries and were transported to area hospitals, according to Burkett.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Two weeks ago, Stone shared a post on Instagram announcing she would be taking the stage in Alabama on Feb. 28, followed by a performance in Baltimore, Maryland on March 1.
As news of the singer-songwriter’s death spread, friends and fans filled the post with condolence messages.
“Rest in peace Angie. Just Spoke to you a lil over a month ago and you sounded great and happy! I still can’t believe this!!” actress and media personality Claudia Jordan wrote.
Tributes also poured in on X (formerly Twitter).
“RIP To A Beautiful Soul! This Is Tough To Type. I Met Angie & Worked W/ Her On Our Television Show #SaintsAndSinners & from there we stayed in contact. Always down to earth very genuine & supportive,” actor Tray Chaney wrote on X.
The Black Music Honors, which honored Stone in 2021, added on X: “We are devastated to learn that our Icon, Angie Stone, has passed away. We send our thoughts and prayers to her family, friends and fans.”
Angie Stone was born in Columbia, South Carolina. She began singing in the church at a young age. Her father, who was a member of a local gospel quartet, took her to see performances by gospel artists inspiring young Angie to pursue a career in music.
In the 1970s at age 16, she formed hip-hop trio the Sequence with high school friends Cheryl “The Pearl” Cook and Gwendolyn “Blondie” Chisolm. The group recorded under Joe and Sylvia Robinson’s Sugar Hill label, and scored a hit with their single “Funk You Up.”
Soon after, Stone worked with funk music group Mantronix and formed the R&B trio Vertical Hold. They climbed the charts in 1993 with the R&B Top 40 single “Seems You’re Much Too Busy.” The group broke up after their second album.
After being brought to the attention of music executive Clive Davis in the late 1990s, Stone signed a recording contract with Arista Records and released her debut solo album, Black Diamond, in 1999.
Thanks to the singles “No More Rain (In This Cloud),” and “Everyday” (one of several songs Stone wrote with her former partner D’Angelo), the album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Among Stone’s other hits were her 2001 single “Brotha” spent 20 weeks on the Billboard charts. “More Than a Woman,” her 2002 duet with singer Joe, earned Stone her first Grammy nomination.
Over her career, the singer received three Grammy nominations. She won two Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards. And in 2021, received the Soul Music Icon Award at the Black Music Honors.
Stone also had a thriving acting career, with roles on the television shows Saints & Sinners, Lincoln Heights, Girlfriends, Moesha, and in the films Ride Along, Scary Movie V, The Fighting Temptations, and The Hot Chick.
She is survived by her son Michael Archer, daughter Diamond Stone, and 2 grandchildren.
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