Grammy-nominated singer Angie Stone dies at 63 following auto accident

Grammy-nominated artist Angie Stone, the lead singer of former hip-hop trio The Sequence and an R&B icon known for several hits including “Wish I Didn’t Miss You,” died Saturday following a car accident while traveling to Alabama.

Stone’s record label, SRG/ILS, confirmed Stone’s death in a statement on its website Saturday.

“Angie was a Hip Hop and R&B legend. Her presence and artistry will truly be missed,” the record label wrote. “We send our condolences to her family, friends and fans as we remember the legacy of Angie Stone.”

Music producer Walter Millsap III told The Associated Press in an email that Stone died in a car crash early Saturday morning.

“Unfortunately, at around 4 a.m. while heading back to Atlanta from Alabama, the Sprinter flipped over and was subsequently hit by a big rig,” Millsap III told The Associated Press. “Thankfully, all survived except for Angie.”

Sugar Hill Records signed Stone, Cheryl Cook, known as “Cheryl The Pearl,” and Gwendolyn Chisolm, known as “Blondy,” to be a part of The Sequence in the late 1970s. The three women were just in high school when they were signed.

The Sequence’s best known song, “Funk You Up,” was released in 1979. It is thought to be the first song to be released by an all-female rap group. “Funk You Up” was followed by the group’s three studio albums, including “Sugarhill Presents the Sequence,” “The Sequence” and “The Sequence Party.”

In the 1990s, Stone became a member of the R&B trio Vertical Hold and later began to pursue a solo career in the music industry. In total, Stone released 10 studio albums, including “Black Diamond” in 1999, “Mahogany Soul” in 2001 and “The Art of Love & War” in 2007.

Stone had been nominated for three Grammy Awards, including for best female R&B vocal performance in 2005.

Stone also had a thriving career as an actor. In 2002, she made her film debut in the comedy “The Hot Chick” and in 2003 starred in the Broadway musical “Chicago” in the role of Big Mama Morton.

Stone is survived by her two children.