R&B Icon Angie Stone Dies in Tragic Highway Crash at 63
Mia Reynolds, 3/4/2025Renowned R&B artist Angie Stone tragically passed away in a car accident at 63. A pioneer of neo-soul, her legacy includes hits like "No More Rain" and a profound influence on artists like D'Angelo. Her vibrant life and artistry resonated deeply in the music community.
The music world was left reeling Saturday morning as pioneering R&B singer and hip-hop trailblazer Angie Stone — whose soulful voice helped define the neo-soul movement — died tragically in a car accident on Interstate 65 near Montgomery, Alabama. She was 63.
The Grammy-nominated artist was returning to Atlanta when the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van she was traveling in overturned around 4:25 a.m. before being struck by a freight truck. While other passengers survived and were taken to Baptist Medical Center, Stone was pronounced dead at the scene — a devastating end to a vibrant life that touched countless souls through music.
"Never in a million years did we ever expect to get this horrible news," her children Diamond and Michael Archer shared in a heart-wrenching statement. The sentiment echoed throughout the music community, with her longtime manager Walter Millsap III adding, "We are truly devastated by this unexpected and unfortunate tragedy and there are simply no words to express how we feel."
Stone's journey from Columbia, South Carolina to R&B royalty reads like a testament to perseverance and raw talent. As a founding member of The Sequence — the first all-female group signed to Sugar Hill Records — she helped pioneer women's voices in hip-hop with their groundbreaking hit "Funk You Up." That track would later influence generations, being sampled by artists including Dr. Dre.
But it was in the early 2000s that Stone found her sweetest spot, riding the neo-soul wave alongside contemporaries like Erykah Badu and Jill Scott. Her 2001 album "Mahogony Soul" captured the zeitgeist, reaching No. 22 on the Billboard 200, while tracks like "No More Rain (In This Cloud)" dominated radio — spending 10 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Adult R&B airplay chart.
Music wasn't just Stone's career — it was her birthright. "I'm an only child, so my dad and my mom are my life," she shared in a 1999 interview, describing how her father's gospel and blues performances around town shaped her artistic vision. That foundation would carry her through decades of evolution, from hip-hop pioneer to neo-soul queen.
In 2007, after facing health challenges that included congestive heart failure, Stone emerged renewed. "I feel complete," she reflected then. "I have a new love, a new album, a new outlook and a newfound joy... Now I can finally say I feel I've arrived and mean it."
Her final scheduled performance was to be at the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association men's Championship basketball game — a reminder of how active and vibrant she remained until the end. CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams-Parker captured Stone's essence perfectly: "She used her incredible talent, passion, and presence to inspire and touch us with strength and hope."
Stone's legacy stretches far beyond her chart successes — she helped craft the sonic landscape for artists like D'Angelo and Raphael Saadiq, appeared in films like "The Fighting Temptations," and continued creating until the end, with her final album "Love Language" released just last year. Her passing marks not just the loss of a singular voice, but of a musical pioneer who helped shape multiple genres while remaining true to her artistic vision.
