Joss Stone

About Joss Stone

Joss Stone is an acclaimed English singer, songwriter, and actress born as Joscelyn Eve Stoker in Dover, Kent, on April 11, 1987. Raised in the rural county of Devon, she struggled with dyslexia during her school years, which led her to focus heavily on artistic pursuits. Captivated by soul music from a very young age, she intuitively trained her lustrous, powerhouse vocals by singing along to classic rhythm and blues records. At age thirteen, she won the British television talent show "Star for a Night" by performing Aretha Franklin standards, a pivotal victory that prompted her to drop out of school at age fifteen to pursue a full-time recording contract in America. 

Her expansive music discography covers nine studio albums that established her as a global force in modern soul. She rose to immediate international fame with her critically acclaimed debut album "The Soul Sessions" in 2003, which went multi-platinum and consisted entirely of covered soul classics. She followed this with her first album of original material, "Mind Body & Soul" in 2004, which made her the youngest British female artist to top the United Kingdom charts. Her subsequent albums include "Introducing Joss Stone" in 2007, the fiercely independent "Colour Me Free!" in 2009, "LP1" in 2011, and the sequel project "The Soul Sessions Vol. 2" in 2012. Showing immense generic versatility, she released the reggae-infused album "Water for Your Soul" in 2015, which became the top-selling reggae record of the year in the United States. Her later releases include the orchestral pop project "Never Forget My Love" in 2022 and her debut holiday album "Merry Christmas, Love" in 2022. 

Her list of hit singles contains highly celebrated tracks that dominated international charts. Her most successful commercial single to date remains the neo-soul anthem "You Had Me" in 2004, which secured a top-ten placement on the United Kingdom Singles Chart and earned a Grammy nomination. Her other defining hit singles include "Fell in Love with a Boy" in 2004, "Super Duper Love" in 2004, "Right to Be Wrong" in 2004, "Spoiled" in 2005, and "Tell Me 'bout It" in 2007. Aside from her solo career, she achieved chart success as a member of the rock supergroup SuperHeavy alongside Mick Jagger, releasing the collaborative single "Miracle Worker" in 2011, and she won the television competition series "The Masked Singer UK" in 2021. 

Her film and television biography highlights her screen presence alongside her musical achievements. She made her official feature film acting debut as the herbalist witch Angela in the fantasy adventure movie "Eragon" in 2006. On television, she earned substantial praise for her dramatic performance as Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of King Henry VIII, in the Showtime historical drama series "The Tudors" from 2009 to 2010. She also expanded her portfolio into theatrical composition by co-writing the music and lyrics for the West End stage production of "The Time Traveller's Wife" in 2023. 

Personal information regarding her family and relationships centers on her close-knit household. She is the daughter of Wendy Skillin and Richard Stoker, growing up as the third of four children. In her romantic life, Stone married her long-term partner, former marine Cody DaLuz, in 2023. The couple shares four children, including their daughter Violet born in 2021, their son Shackleton born in 2022, an adopted son named Bear, and their daughter Nalima Rose born in June 2025. After living in the United States for fourteen years, she quietly relocated her family back to her native county of Devon to raise her children. 

Throughout her journey from a teenage prodigy to an independent musical veteran, Stone has been vocal about maintaining her artistic freedom against corporate control and performing barefoot to stay grounded. A notable quote regarding her refusal to let external forces dictate her musical identity underscores her standard for authenticity: "I wanted out of my record deal because they wanted me to record one type of album, but I wanted to record the type of music I wanted to make. Who says soul has only one color?" Reflecting on the essence of her artistic output and her relationship with her audience, she famously observed: "To me, music has to be about freedom; it is the most important thing in my life. I am just a girl who makes noises, and I am incredibly lucky that people happen to like those noises."