Joss Stone facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joss Stone
Stone performing in 2023
Background information
Birth name	Joscelyn Eve Stoker
Born	(1987-04-11) 11 April 1987 (age 38) Dover, Kent, England
Genres	R&B soul blue-eyed soul reggae
Occupations	Singer songwriter actress
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Relentless S-Curve Virgin Stone'd Surfdog Bay Street
Children	4

Joscelyn Eve Stoker (born on 11 April 1987), known as Joss Stone, is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. She became famous in late 2003 with her first album, The Soul Sessions. This album sold many copies and was even nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2004.

Her second album, Mind Body & Soul (2004), went to number one in the UK Albums Chart. It also featured the popular song "You Had Me", which was her biggest hit in the UK. Both the album and the song were nominated for Grammy Awards in 2005. Joss Stone herself was nominated for Best New Artist. She became the youngest British female singer to have a number one album in the UK.

Stone's third album, Introducing Joss Stone, came out in March 2007. It sold very well in the US, becoming her first album to reach the top five on the Billboard 200 chart. She released her fourth album, Colour Me Free!, in 2009, which also reached the top 10 in the US. Her fifth album, LP1, came out in 2011 and also made it to the top 10.

Throughout her career, Joss Stone has sold over 15 million records worldwide. This makes her one of the most successful soul artists of the 2000s. She has won several awards, including two Brit Awards and one Grammy Award. She started acting in films in 2006 with Eragon. She also appeared on TV, playing Anne of Cleves in the series The Tudors in 2009.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Joscelyn Eve Stoker was born on 11 April 1987 in Dover, Kent, England. She grew up in Ashill, a small village in Devon. She is the third of four children. Her father ran a business that imported and exported fruit and nuts. Her mother was her manager for a while.

Joss Stone first performed in public at her school, Uffculme School, singing "Reet Petite" by Jackie Wilson. She has dyslexia and left school at age sixteen. She said, "It wasn't that I was stupid. I'm just a little bit dyslexic and I wasn't very academic. I'm more artistic."

Growing up, Stone listened to a lot of American R&B and soul music from the 1960s and 1970s. Artists like Dusty Springfield and Aretha Franklin inspired her. She developed a soulful singing style because of this. Her first CD was Aretha Franklin: Greatest Hits. She loved the vocals in soul music, saying, "You've got to have good vocals to sing soul music and I always liked it ever since I was little."

Career Highlights

Starting Out and The Soul Sessions (2001–2003)

Stone performing live in Milan in 2005, during Mind, Body & Soul Sessions Tour

In 2001, when she was thirteen, Joss Stone auditioned for the TV talent show Star for a Night in London. She sang songs by Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston. She won the contest and later appeared on another show called Steps to the Stars.

After these shows, she caught the attention of London-based producers Andy Dean and Ben Wolfe. They told S-Curve Records founder Steve Greenberg about her. In early 2002, Greenberg flew Stone to New York for an audition. She sang classic soul songs, and he immediately signed her to his record label.

Her first album, The Soul Sessions, was released on 16 September 2003. She worked with famous soul musicians like Betty Wright and Angie Stone. The album featured covers of lesser-known soul songs. It became very popular, reaching the top five in the UK and the top forty in the US. The first single, "Fell in Love with a Boy", was a new version of a song by the White Stripes. It reached the top 20 in the UK.

Mind Body & Soul and Film Debut (2004–2006)

Joss Stone in 2007

After the success of her first album, Joss Stone recorded her second album, Mind Body & Soul, released on 28 September 2004. She called this album her "real debut" because it featured more of her own new songs. It went straight to number one in the UK, making her the youngest female artist to achieve this.

The album's main single, "You Had Me", became her biggest hit, reaching number 9 in the UK. Other singles like "Right to Be Wrong" and "Spoiled" also did well. In 2005, Mind, Body & Soul sold millions of copies in the UK and the US.

In April 2004, Stone performed at the VH1's benefit concert Divas Live 2004. She also joined Band Aid 20 in November 2004 to re-record the song "Do They Know It's Christmas?" to help people in Sudan. This song became the UK's best-selling single of 2004.

At the 2005 BRIT Awards, Joss Stone won awards for British Female Solo Artist and British Urban Act. She became the youngest solo winner of a BRIT Award at age seventeen. She was also nominated for three Grammy Awards in 2005. She performed with rock singer Melissa Etheridge at the Grammys, singing a tribute to Janis Joplin.

Stone with then BBC Radio 2 presenter Chris Evans in 2005

In March 2005, Stone became a spokesperson for the Gap clothing company. She appeared in TV ads singing covers of classic songs. She also performed at the Live 8 concert in London in July 2005. Stone was an opening act for the Rolling Stones during their 2005 tour.

She collaborated with many artists, including James Brown, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, and Lemar. In 2006, she performed with Stevie Wonder and John Legend at the Super Bowl XL pre-game show.

Joss Stone made her first film appearance in the fantasy adventure movie Eragon, released in December 2006. She played the fortune teller Angela. At the 2007 Grammy Awards, she won an award for her collaboration with John Legend and Van Hunt on their cover of "Family Affair".

Introducing Joss Stone and New Ventures (2007–2008)

Stone at the Much Music Video Awards in 2007

Joss Stone started working on her third album, Introducing Joss Stone, in May 2006. The album was produced by Raphael Saadiq and featured collaborations with Lauryn Hill and Common. Stone described the album as "truly me." It debuted at number 2 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling many copies in its first week.

The album's first single, "Tell Me 'Bout It", reached number 28 in the UK. The second single, "Tell Me What We're Gonna Do Now", featured rapper Common. Stone and Common used the music video for this song to support Product Red, donating all profits from video purchases to help fight AIDS.

Stone walking at the Heart Truth charity fashion show 2008

In 2007, Stone performed at the South African leg of the Live Earth concerts to raise awareness about global warming. She also covered Nat King Cole's song "L-O-V-E" for a Chanel perfume advertisement.

She joined Jeff Beck for a duet of "People Get Ready" in London in 2007. To raise awareness for AIDS, Annie Lennox recorded the song "Sing" with twenty-three female artists, including Stone. This song was released on World AIDS Day in December 2007.

In March 2008, Stone was cast as Stephanie in the British romantic comedy film Snappers. She also made her TV acting debut as Henry VIII's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, in the third season of the series The Tudors. She appeared in the final season of the show in 2010 as well.

Colour Me Free! and New Music (2009–2010)

Stone performing during a festival, as part of the Colour Me Free! World Tour

Joss Stone's fourth album, Colour Me Free!, was written and recorded quickly in early 2008. She described it as "very, very raw." The album was released on 20 October 2009. Stone later left her record label, EMI, and started her own independent label called Stone'd Records.

In 2010, Stone sang on Ringo Starr's album Y Not and on Jeff Beck's album Emotion and Commotion. She also provided the voice and likeness for the character Nicole Hunter in the video game James Bond 007: Blood Stone. She sang the game's theme song, "I'll Take It All".

She also sang on two songs for a charity audio drama called A Voyage For Soldier Miles. In 2010, Stone collaborated with Puerto Rican artist Ricky Martin on the song "The Best Thing About Me Is You". This song became a number one hit on the Latin music charts in the US.

Later Albums and World Tour (2011–2018)

Stone performing in São Paulo, Brazil, December 2018

In 2011, Joss Stone released LP1 through her own label, Stone'd Records. She recorded the album in Nashville, Tennessee, in just six days. She also joined a supergroup called SuperHeavy, formed by Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones, Dave Stewart, Damian Marley, and A.R. Rahman. Their debut single, "Miracle Worker", came out in July 2011.

In July 2012, Stone released The Soul Sessions Vol. 2, returning to her original label, S-Curve Records. This album featured covers of lesser-known soul songs from the 1970s and 1980s. It reached the top 10 in both the US and UK album charts. In 2013, she appeared on the UK TV series Top Gear.

Stone announced in 2012 that she would work on a reggae album with Damian Marley. This album, Water for Your Soul, was released on 31 July 2015 and became the number-one reggae album when it came out. In April 2014, she began her Total World Tour, aiming to perform in as many countries as possible.

In November 2017, Stone released Project Mama Earth, an EP inspired by Mother Nature and African rhythms, with other musicians. In October 2018, Stone was a guest star in season 5 of the musical drama TV series Empire.

Finishing the World Tour and Recent Work (2019–Present)

Stone performing in São Paulo, Brazil, December 2018

In early 2019, Joss Stone sang with James Morrison on the song "My Love Goes On". She also completed her six-year Total World Tour, performing in nearly every country in the world. In July 2019, she was not allowed to enter Iran, which was the last stop on her tour.

In April 2020, Stone released the single "Lean On Me" with Beverley Knight. The music video for the song showed the work of National Health Service helpers. In August 2020, Stone started hosting a podcast called A Cuppa Happy, where she explores the topic of happiness.

In February 2021, Joss Stone won the second series of The Masked Singer in the UK. She was disguised as "Sausage" and her identity was kept secret until she won. The finale was recorded when she was pregnant.

On 11 November 2021, she released "Never Forget My Love", the main song from her new album, which came out on 11 February 2022. In 2023, she celebrated the 20th anniversary of her music career with a European tour.

Singing Style

Joss Stone has a powerful voice, known as a mezzo-soprano and contralto. She often performs without shoes. She has been described as "the white Aretha Franklin" because of her soulful singing style.

Personal Life

Washington, D.C., USA, 2022

In 2004, Stone dated Beau Dozier, with whom she wrote the song "Spoiled". They ended their relationship in 2005. In 2016, she shared that she had been in a relationship with music promoter SiChai for three years.

Joss Stone has been a vegetarian her whole life. She also takes care of many rescue dogs. The Joss Stone Foundation has supported over 200 charities around the world during her global tour. Its goal is to raise awareness and support for these charities. In 2021, she received The National German Sustainability Award.

In September 2020, Stone announced she was expecting her first child with her boyfriend, Cody DaLuz. She gave birth to a daughter in January 2021. In April 2022, she announced she was pregnant with her second child, a son, who was born in October 2022. Stone moved to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2022. In October 2023, Stone married Cody DaLuz. In December 2024, Stone adopted a baby boy and announced she was pregnant with their fourth child.

Discography

• The Soul Sessions (2003)
• Mind Body & Soul (2004)
• Introducing Joss Stone (2007)
• Colour Me Free! (2009)
• LP1 (2011)
• The Soul Sessions Vol. 2 (2012)
• Water for Your Soul (2015)
• Never Forget My Love (2022)
• Merry Christmas, Love (2022)
• 20 Years of Soul Live in Concert (2023)

Tours

• Mind, Body & Soul Sessions Tour (2003–2005)
• Introducing Joss Stone World Tour (2007–2008)
• Colour Me Free! World Tour (2009–2011)
• LP1 World Tour (2011)
• Total World Tour (2014–2019)
• 20 Years of Soul (2023)
• Ellipsis (2024–2025)

Film and Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

Joss Stone has won nine awards during her career, including one Grammy Award and two Brit Awards.

See also

In Spanish: Joss Stone para niños