Joscelyn Eve Stoker, whose professional name is Joss Stone, was born in Dover, and began listening to Aretha Franklin when she was ten, drawn to both the artist and to the music. “Aretha Franklin: Greatest Hits” was the first CD she owned, and she began her career singing in the style of Franklin,
Her career started taking off in 2003 when she made her album debut with “The Soul Sessions,” which went multi-platinum and was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2004. “Mind Body & Soul,” her second album, dropped in 2004 and hit the top of the UK Albums chart. The track “You Had Me” made it into the top ten.
The single and the album received a Grammy nomination, and Stone was nominated for “Best New Artist.” Her third album, “Introducing Joss Stone” was rated Gold, and her next albums also did well. She has sold approximately 15 million albums worldwide.
A review of a live performance says:
“. . . her soulful arrangements [created] . . . a deeply emotional and personal experience for those in attendance.”
Stone made her film debut in 2005’s “Eragon,” and has appeared on television shows such as “Empire.”
Joss Stone will be at the Balboa Theatre in downtown San Diego on February 3. When they book performances like this, organizers benefit by using poster printing to create publicity for them.