Stone, Joss (1987– )

English pop vocalist. At the age of 16 she released The Soul Sessions (2003), a collection of ten songs by a range of artists mainly from the Miami Sound movement of the 1970s, and became well known for her passionate performance, vibrant voice, and original reinterpretations of soul classics. She won the 2005 Brit awards for Best British Female Solo Artist and Best British Urban Act.

Collaborators on the album include Miami Sound veterans Betty Wright, Willie ‘Little Beaver’ Hale, Timmy Thomas, and Benny Latimore. Miami Sound was a fusion of soul and disco popular in the 1970s. The Soul Sessions includes covers of obscure soul singles such as Laura Lee's ‘Dirty Man’ and Sugar Billy's ‘Super Duper Love’, more well known fare such as Aretha Franklin's ‘All the King's Horses’ and the Isley Brothers' ‘For the Love of You’, and new interpretations of current music, such as the White Stripes' ‘Fell in Love with a Boy’ (with backing tracks by hip hop group The Roots and supporting vocals by Angie Stone and Betty Wright).

Stone was born in Dover, England, and grew up in Devon. She won the audition for BBC's junior Star for a Night talent show at the age of 14, singing Aretha Franklin's ‘A Natural Woman’ and Whitney Houston's ‘It's Not Right but it's Okay’, and appeared on the programme some months later, singing Donna Summer's disco hit ‘On the Radio’. She gained the attention of Steve Greenberg, CEO of S-Curve Records, who signed her to the label.