Joss Stone

Joss Stone

Joss Stone (born Jocelyn Eve Stoker on 11th of April 1987) is an English soul and R&B singer-songwriter and actress.

Stone emerged to fame in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, The Soul Sessions making the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist. Her second album, the also-multi-platinum Mind, Body & Soul, topped the UK Albums Chart and featured the UK top ten hit "You Had Me."

Stone's latest album, Introducing Joss Stone, released in March 2007, has achieved gold status by the RIAA.

Throughout her career, Stone has sold over ten million albums worldwide and has won two BRIT Awards and one Grammy Award. She also made her acting debut in late 2006 with the fantasy adventure film Eragon, as the witch Angela.

Music career

In 2002, Stone decided to back her ability by flying out from England for an audition in New York City with S-Curve Records CEO Steve Greenberg. She performed Donna Summer's 1979 "On the Radio" and the gamble paid off, with Stone signing to the label.

The Soul Sessions (2003)

Released in late 2003 the album consisted of little-known soul tracks, rather than Stone's own material.

It reached the top five on the UK Albums Chart, and also made the top forty of the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.

The lead single, "Fell in Love with a Boy" a reworking of The White Stripes' 2001 "Fell in Love with a Girl," reached the top twenty of the UK Singles Chart, as did the second single, a cover version of Sugar Billy's 1974 song "Super Duper Love (Are You Diggin' on Me)."

The album eventually went triple platinum by the BPI in mid-April 2005 and gold by the RIAA in late March 2004.

Mind, Body & Soul (2004)

Released in 2004 the album proved to be an even bigger success than her first.

Containing new material, it debuted at number one in the UK and just missed the top ten of the U.S. Billboard 200, after peaking at number eleven.

The lead single, "You Had Me" became her biggest hit to date when it rose to number nine in the UK. Follow-up singles "Right to Be Wrong" and "Spoiled" both made the top forty, and "Don't Cha Wanna Ride" the top twenty.

In early September 2005, Mind, Body & Soul was certified triple platinum by the BPI and platinum by the RIAA.

At the 2005 BRIT Awards, Stone was nominated for British Breakthrough Act, and won British Female Solo Artist and British Urban Act, entering the Guinness World Records for being the youngest BRIT Award solo winner at age seventeen.

Introducing Joss Stone (2007)

Released in 2007 the album debuted and peaked at number twelve on the UK Albums Chart, not managing to match the success of Stone's two previous albums.

It nevertheless debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 selling 118,000 copies in its first week, then the highest debut for a British solo female artist on the U.S. chart.

"Tell Me 'bout It" the album's lead single, debuted and peaked at number twenty-eight on the UK Singles Chart and peaked at number eighty-three on the U.S Billboard Hot 100.

Film career

Stone made her film debut in the fantasy adventure film Eragon in 2006, playing the witch Angela.

In March 2008, Stone signed up for the role of a lesbian named Stephanie in the upcoming British romantic comedy Snappers.

Trivia

Stone made her first public appearance at school with a cover of Jackie Wilson's 1957 song "Reet Petite."

Stone was the youngest woman on the 2006 Sunday Times Rich List an annual list of the UK's wealthiest people with £6 million.

She was also ranked number seventy-eight on Maxim's 2007 Hot 100.

Stone was named the World's Best Celebrity Dog Owner of 2005 in an online poll conducted by readers of The New York Dog Magazine and The Hollywood Dog Magazine. She owns two female dogs: Missy, a Rottweiler (named after rapper Missy Elliott) and Dusty, a Poodle (named for Dusty Springfield, one of her major influences).

In 2005 she was voted the World's Sexiest Vegetarian by peta2.