Joss Stone

Joscelyn Eve Stoker, known professionally as Joss Stone, is an English singer, songwriter, and actress. Born on 11 April 1987, she achieved widespread prominence in late 2003 following the release of her debut soul album. Throughout her career, Stone has sold 15 million records worldwide, establishing herself as a leading British soul artist of her era. She has also expanded into acting across both film and television.

Stone was born at Buckland Hospital in Dover, Kent, and spent her teenage years in Ashill, Devon. She is the third of four children born to Wendy and Richard Stoker. While attending Uffculme Comprehensive School, she gave her first public performance singing Jackie Wilson's "Reet Petite." Influenced by 1960s and 1970s American R&B and soul artists such as Aretha Franklin and Dusty Springfield, she developed a soulful singing style. Stone has dyslexia and left school at age sixteen holding three GCSE qualifications.

In 2001, at age thirteen, Stone won the BBC Television talent show Star for a Night and subsequently won Steps to the Stars. After attracting the attention of producers, she auditioned in New York for S-Curve Records founder Steve Greenberg, who signed her in early 2002. Her debut album, The Soul Sessions, was released in September 2003. It reached the top five on the UK Albums Chart, made the 2004 Mercury Prize shortlist, and yielded hit singles including "Fell in Love with a Boy."

Stone's second album, Mind Body & Soul, was released in September 2004 and topped the UK Albums Chart, making her the youngest British female singer to achieve a number-one album in the UK. The record featured her highest-charting UK single to date, "You Had Me." In March 2007, she released Introducing Joss Stone, which debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, marking the second-highest debut for a British female solo artist on that chart at the time.

Her subsequent releases include Colour Me Free! in 2009 and LP1 in 2011, both of which reached the top ten on the Billboard 200. In 2012, she released her sixth studio album, The Soul Sessions Vol. 2, followed by the reggae-inspired Water for Your Soul in 2015, which reached number one on the US Reggae Albums chart. In 2022, Stone released her eighth studio album, Never Forget My Love, alongside her first holiday album, Merry Christmas, Love.

Beyond her music career, Stone made her film debut in the 2006 fantasy adventure film Eragon and her television debut portraying Anne of Cleves in the Showtime series The Tudors in 2009. She has earned multiple accolades throughout her career, including two Brit Awards and one Grammy Award out of five nominations. Additionally, Stone was recognized as the youngest woman on the 2006 Sunday Times Rich List.