Austell is preparing for a public memorial for R&B and hip-hop icon Angie Stone. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, the service will take place at 11 a.m. on Friday at the Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral. Due to high demand, attendees were required to register online, but registration has since closed as all spots were filled by Sunday morning.
Stone, a Stockbridge resident, tragically passed away at 63 in a car crash while leaving a performance in Mobile, Alabama. The van transporting Stone and her crew collided on Interstate 65, resulting in her death. No other casualties were reported. A private ceremony for family and friends will be held in Columbia, South Carolina, her birthplace, on Saturday, as reported by Atlanta News First.
Stone's influence extended beyond her work with pioneering female rap group The Sequence and their 1979 hit "Funk You Up." As per FOX 5 Atlanta, she collaborated with Mantronix, Vertical Hold, and provided backing vocals for Lenny Kravitz. She also appeared in films like "The Hot Chick" and "Ride Along" and performed on Broadway in "Chicago." Stone won the Soul Music Icon Award in 2021 and was featured on Damon Little's 2024 song "No Stressing." She released ten studio albums, including "Love Language" in 2023.
Following her death, both celebrities and fans have expressed their grief. Tyler Perry shared on Instagram how Stone’s music inspired his writing for the upcoming Netflix show "Straw." "I don’t know what’s going on with so many people leaving this planet, but what I do know is that death is a door that we all will face one day. And I pray that my life has touched folks the way she touched so many," Perry told Atlanta News First. Stone herself once said, "You have to choose life; you have to choose joy. You have to choose desire."
As tributes continue, it’s clear that Stone's impact went beyond her music. Her artistry, authenticity, and resilience resonated deeply with her fans, peers, and community. She is survived by her children, Diamond and Michael.
