Joss Stone

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Growing up in Devon on a steady diet of classic American soul, it wasn't long before Joss Stone realised she had the same gutsy, impassioned vocal style as many of her idols. Leaving home at 16 having already won BBC talent show Star For A Night, Stone was invited to New York to audition for S-Curve Records, which snapped her up. The teenager headed into a Miami studio with soul belle Betty Wright, who produced/mentored/cajoled Stone's sessions to fruition. Stone's debut, the aptly titled Soul Sessions, was released in late 2003 and success in the US was quickly followed in the UK, who fell in love with their Devonshire lass.
The inevitable press backlash followed in 2007 though, when Stone appeared at the Brit Awards spouting an American accent. She told RealMusic in 2009: "People still talk about that? They can fuck off! I have American friends, I work a lot in America so sometimes I might have an American accent - get over it!"
Stone released album Colour Me Free! at the end of 2009 after prolonged rows with her major label about it, after she went off and recorded the album without their permission. "I think it's important for people to realise the struggles that artists go through," she said. Whatever, the album headed back to Stone's soul-filled roots and included a 13-minute jam entitled Mr Wankerman.