Joss Stone is an actor and singer-songwriter from England. She grew up listening to a wide range of music, including American R&B and soul musicians like Dusty Springfield and Aretha Franklin. As a result, she developed a soulful style of singing, similar to her idols, with a contralto vocal range. Her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions, rocketed her into the Top 5 of the UK Albums chart as well as the Top 40 of the Billboard 200 chart in the United States. Her second album, Mind Body & Soul, was also multi-platinum, topping the UK Albums chart for one week and spawning the Top 10 hit You Had Me. The RIAA awarded her third album, Introducing Joss Stone, gold record certification. Color Me Free!, her fourth album, debuted in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. Stone collaborated with Surfdog Records to release Stone’d Records’ first album, LP1. She made her film acting debut in Eragon, a fantasy adventure film, and her television debut in The Tudors, a Showtime series, as Anne of Cleves. Stone has sold 14 million albums globally throughout the course of her career. She’s won a slew of prizes and honours, including two BRIT Awards and a Grammy.
Childhood and Adolescence
Stone was born Jocelyn Eve Stoker on April 11, 1987, at Buckland Hospital in Dover, Kent, England, to Wendy and Richard Stoker, the third of four children who owns a fruit and nut import/export business.
She was dyslexic and attended Uffculme Comprehensive School in Uffculme, Devon, where she made her first public appearance, graduating with only three GCSE qualifications at the age of sixteen.
She acquired a deep singing style while growing up listening to a wide variety of music, including American R&B and soul music delivered by musicians such as Dusty Springfield and Aretha Franklin.
Later Life and Career
Stone auditioned for the BBC talent show Star for a Night in London when he was thirteen years old. She won the competition by singing Donna Summer’s “On the Radio” during the broadcast.
In December 2001, she was discovered at a charity event by London-based producers Andy Dean and Ben Wolfe of the Boilerhouse Boys, who suggested her to S-Curve Records founder and CEO Steve Greenberg.
She was flown to New York for an audition, where she performed classic soul songs by Otis Redding, Gladys Knight, and Aretha Franklin, and was signed to Greenberg’s company in 2002.
Her debut album, The Soul Sessions, was published in 2003 and included lesser-known soul classics by Aretha Franklin, Laura Lee, Bettye Swann, and others. It was produced by Steve Greenberg, Mike Mangini, and Betty Wright.
In 2004, she published her second album, Mind Body & Soul. Its popular singles included You Had Me, Right to Be Wrong, Spoiled, and Don’t Cha Wanna Ride.
In 2004, she joined Band Aid 20 to raise money for Sudan’s troubled Darfur region, and she re-recorded the song Do They Know It’s Christmas? with stars including Chris Martin and Bono.
She was chosen the Gap apparel company’s ambassador in March 2005, succeeding actress Sarah Jessica Parker. Since then, she has been in numerous commercials for that store.
On BBC One’s Friday Night with Jonathan Ross in July 2005, she performed a mashup of “It’s a Man’s World” and “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” with funk great James Brown.
For Herbie Hancock’s 2005 album, Possibilities, Stone worked with jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and blues singer-guitarist Jonny Lang on a cover of U2’s song When Love Comes to Town.
She performed a medley of Wonder’s classics with Stevie Wonder and others during the Super Bowl XL pre-game ceremonies, and she also helped perform a medley on the night of the 2006 Grammy Awards.
She made her cinematic debut in 2006, in the fantasy adventure film Eragon, directed by Stefen Fangmeier and based on Christopher Paolini’s novel of the same name. She played the fortune teller Angela.
Introducing Joss Stone, Stone’s third studio album, debuted at number twelve on the UK Albums Chart in 2007, but failed to equal the popularity of her two prior albums.
Color Me Free!, Stone’s fourth studio album, was released in 2009. She quit EMI due to disagreements about the album’s cover image and founded Stone’d Records, an independent record company.
Her voice was used as the Bond lady in the video game James Bond 007: Blood Stone in 2010, and she also performed and co-wrote the game’s theme song with Dave Stewart.
In the third season of The Tudors, she made her television debut as Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII’s fourth wife. In 2010, she returned to the role in the show’s final season.
In 2012, the musician released The Soul Sessions Vol. 2, his sixth studio album. It is a follow-up to her debut album and has eleven cover versions of soul music.
Major Projects of Joss Stone
The Soul Sessions, Stone’s debut album, reached number five on the UK Albums Chart and was later certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry and gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Mind Body & Soul, her fourth album, arrived at number one in the UK Albums Chart in 2004, becoming her the youngest female to do so. The album was certified triple platinum by the BPI.
Stone’s CD, Joss Stone, won the HUMO Pop Poll de Luxe Award for Best International Female Singer as well as two Brit Awards in the categories of British Female Solo Artist and British Urban Act.
Achievements & Awards
She shared the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals Award with John Legend and Van Hunt at the 49th Grammy Awards for the tune, Family Affair.
Personal History and Legacy
Stone dated Beau Dozier in 2004 and co-wrote the song “Spoiled” with him. Dozier is the son of Motown producer Lamont Dozier, but the two split up the following year in November.
Two males were caught near her home in 2011 for plotting to rob and murder her. They were found guilty and convicted after a trial at Exeter Crown Court.
Joss Stone Net Worth
Joss Stone is an actress and singer-songwriter with an estimated net worth of $8 million. Joss Stone has amassed a substantial net worth as a result of her numerous records and albums, as well as her work as a songwriter and actress in films such as Eragon and Snappers. She has also appeared in television productions such as The Tudors, where she played Anne of Cleves. Stone has also been on American Dreams, American Dad, and Good Luck Charlie as a guest star. Her birth name is Jocelyn Eve Stoker, and she was born on April 11th, 1987, in Dover, Kent, England.
Trivia
She has posed with a chicken in a new PETA web advertising supporting vegetarianism. She was formerly placed 7th in Maxim Magazine’s poll of Sexiest Vegetarians.
This singer grew up listening to Aretha Franklin’s music, which drove her to seek a career in music, and thus earned the moniker “White Aretha Franklin.”