Joss Stone
April 11, 1987 — Dover, Devon, England
Joscelyn Eve Stoker, known professionally as Joss Stone, is an English singer, songwriter and actress who burst onto the music scene as a teenager with a voice far beyond her years — a raw, Aretha Franklin–influenced contralto that drew comparisons to the classic soul singers of the 1960s and 1970s.
A Devon Girl With a Soul Voice
Born on April 11, 1987 in Dover and raised in Ashill, Devon, Joss Stone showed little outward sign of becoming one of Britain's biggest musical exports. She was a shy, unremarkable student until a family friend dared her to audition for the TV talent show Star for a Night in 2001. She didn't win — but S-Curve Records executive Steve Greenberg caught her performance and was stunned by her voice. By age 15, she had signed to the label.
The Soul Sessions and Instant Stardom
Released in 2003 when Stone was just 16, The Soul Sessions was an album of classic soul covers — Rufus Thomas, Dr. John, the Isley Brothers — recorded in Compass Point Studios in Nassau. Produced by Betty Wright, it landed on the Mercury Prize shortlist and went multi-platinum in the UK and US. Overnight, Stone was being described as the most authentically soulful British voice since Adele before Adele was even famous. Her 2004 follow-up, Mind Body & Soul, topped the UK Albums Chart and spawned the top-ten hit "You Had Me."
The year 2004 also saw her perform with Mick Jagger, Sting, and Stevie Wonder at the Grammy Awards — a rare honour for a 17-year-old in only her first full year of fame.
Did You Know?
Joss Stone set herself the personal challenge of performing a concert in every country on Earth. She's completed gigs in over 200 countries and territories, including performances in some of the world's most remote and politically volatile nations, all documented in her travel journal and TV series The Total World Tour.
Grammy Glory and Later Projects
Stone won two Grammy Awards in 2005 and continued releasing acclaimed albums throughout the 2000s, including Introducing Joss Stone (2007) and Colour Me Free! (2009). She collaborated with Raphael Saadiq on the latter, and also contributed to Superheavy, a one-off supergroup featuring Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart, and A.R. Rahman. In 2012 she was targeted in a failed murder and robbery plot in Devon — five men were arrested before they could reach her home — a surreal episode that barely slowed her down.
After years of high-profile projects and tours, Stone also developed a modest acting career, including a recurring role in the Starz drama The Tudors. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Song in 2013. Now based partly in Nashville and partly in the UK, Stone continues to record and tour, cementing her legacy as one of Britain's most genuine soul voices.