Memorial Service Set for Grammy-Nominated Singer Angie Stone

AUSTELL, Ga. (AP) — A memorial service honoring Grammy-nominated singer Angie Stone is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Friday at Word of Faith Cathedral in Austell, Georgia, following her tragic death in a car crash on March 1. Stone, 63, was killed when the cargo van she was traveling in flipped and was struck by a truck south of Montgomery, Alabama. Her longtime manager, Walter Millsap III, confirmed that all other passengers survived the incident.

In addition to the service in Georgia, a second one will take place on Saturday at First Nazareth Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina, Stone’s hometown. The singer, whose passion for music was rooted in childhood, recounted in a 1999 interview with the AP how her mother sang around the house and her father performed gospel and blues locally.

Stone gained fame as a member of the groundbreaking all-female hip-hop trio The Sequence, known for their hit song “Funk You Up,” which has influenced many artists, including Dr. Dre. She is also celebrated for her solo career, producing hits like “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” and “Wish I Didn’t Miss You.” These songs achieved chart success, with “No More Rain” reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B airplay chart for a record 10 weeks.

With the rise of neo-soul in the early 2000s, Stone carved out her niche alongside artists like Erykah Badu and Maxwell. Her 2001 album “Mahagony Soul” peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200, while her 2007 project “The Art Of Love & War” reached No. 11. Beyond music, Stone appeared in films such as “The Hot Chick,” starred alongside Cuba Gooding Jr. and Beyoncé in “The Fighting Temptations,” and played Big Mama Morton in a Broadway production of “Chicago.”

Stone’s impact extended to reality television, where she showcased her personal struggles on shows like “Celebrity Fit Club” and “R&B Divas: Atlanta.” Upon her passing, fans, friends, and fellow musicians took to social media to pay tribute, celebrating her lasting contributions to music and culture.