Grammy Award nominated Columbia native killed in crash, officials say
The 63-year-old Stone's death was confirmed by music producer Walter Millsap III, who told The Associated Press that Stone had been traveling in a van to Atlanta after a concert when it 'flipped over and was subsequently hit by a big rig.'
'The Alabama Highway Patrol said in a news release that the 2021 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van turned over on Interstate 65 about 4:25 a.m. Saturday before being hit by a 2021 Freightliner Cascadia truck driven by a 33-year-old man from Texas,' according to The AP.
Stone died at the scene, which was about 5 miles south of Montgomery.
Millsap told The AP that the eight other people who were in the van survived. Further information on their conditions was not available.
'My heart breaks for Angie Stone and her family,' former South Carolina state representative and CNN commentator Bakari Sellers said on social media. 'May she rest in power. She meant so much to this community and is a true icon.'
Stone was scheduled to perform at the halftime show of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association men's championship basketball game Saturday in Baltimore, officials with the association said in a statement.
'We are heartbroken by the tragic and sudden passing of Angie Stone, an award-winning singer, a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., a community activist, role model, and mother whose soulful artistry and spirit made an indelible mark on her community, our nation, and the world,' CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams-Parker said in the statement.
Stone's journey began as Angela Laverne Brown when she was born in 1961 in Columbia, where she grew up and went from singing in church to forming the early hip-hop trio the Sequence, the Los Angeles Times reported.
She was a member of the congregation at First Nazareth Baptist Church and her alma mater was C.A. Johnson High School, where she received an honor in 2015.
Stone later moved to New York where she signed a recording contract with Sugar Hill Records and the Sequence, one of rap's first female groups, had a hit with 1979's 'Funk You Up,' which Dr. Dre later sampled for his 'Keep Their Heads Ringin,' ' according to the Los Angeles Times.
'I was self-taught. I was hungry, I was thirsty, I was ambitious,' Stone said during a 2020 interview on 'The Breakfast Club.'
Stone later joined another musical trio, Vertical Hold, before launching her solo career, the AP reported.
Around that same time, she also wrote songs for and performed with Lenny Kravitz, Mary J. Blige and D'Angelo, the latter who she had a romantic relationship with and they had a son in 1998, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Stone is survived by her two children, daughter Diamond and son Michael D'Angelo Archer II, US Weekly reported.
During Stone's career as a solo artist she had hits with singles 'No More Rain,' 'Wish I Didn't Miss You,' 'More Than a Woman,' and 'U-Haul,'among other songs. The latter two were both nominated for Grammy Awards.
She had gold records with her 1999 debut album 'Black Diamond' and the 2001 follow up 'Mahogany Soul,' which have combined for more than a million sales, according to bestsellingalbums.org.
'My music is as close to real soul music as you're going to get. Everything else is watered down,' Stone told The State in 2015.
Stone was also a prolific actress, appearing in a combined 40 movies and TV shows, according to IMDB.
'Angie Stone's voice and spirit will live on forever in the hearts of those she touched,' her publicist Yvonne Forbes told CNN.
'I've been in the game for 50 years. My first solo album is 25 years old. I've put in a lot of work over the years,' Stone said in a Jan. 13 Instagram post. 'God gave me this gift and I have shared it with the world.'
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- Yahoo
Live: Jury deliberates charges in trial of man accused of plotting Young Dolph's murder
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Jury begins deliberating in trial of Memphis man charged with organizing Young Dolph's killing
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A jury began deliberating Wednesday in the trial of a man charged with organizing the daytime ambush killing of rapper Young Dolph at a Memphis bakery in November 2021. The trial of Hernandez Govan, 45, began Monday in a Memphis courtroom. Govan is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and first-degree murder. He is not accused of shooting Young Dolph, but prosecutors claim he directed the two people who did and was criminally responsible for the commission of premeditated murder. The 12-person jury began deliberating at about 5:15 p.m., after prosecutors and a defense attorney delivered closing arguments. Young Dolph — a rapper, independent label owner and producer whose legal name was Adolph Thornton Jr. — grew up in Memphis and was admired in the city for his charitable works. The 36-year-old was in his hometown to hand out Thanksgiving turkeys to families when his visit to his favorite cookie shop turned into an attack that shocked the entertainment world. Authorities said two men exited a white Mercedes-Benz and began shooting at the rapper at the bakery on Nov. 17, 2021. He died after being shot about 20 times, according to a medical examiner's report. Testifying against Govan was Cornelius Smith Jr., who has admitted to being one of the two shooters who ambushed Young Dolph. Smith previously was the main trial witness against Justin Johnson, who was convicted of first-degree murder in 2024 after Smith named him as the second shooter. Memphis prosecutors have portrayed the killing as part an effort by Anthony 'Big Jook' Mims to get revenge on Young Dolph for diss tracks aimed at Big Jook and the record label he helped run for his brother, rapper Yo Gotti. Smith has testified that Big Jook put out a $100,000 hit on Young Dolph as well as smaller bounties on all the artists at Young Dolph's record label, Paper Route Empire. At the earlier trial of Justin Johnson, a prosecutor told jurors that Cocaine Muzik Group (now known as Collective Music Group), a rival record label founded by Yo Gotti, wanted Young Dolph to work for them, but he turned them down. Big Jook was shot and killed outside a restaurant in January 2024. Prosecutors argued Govan was the middle man between Big Jook and the two shooters. Smith testified on Monday that 'I didn't know anything about Paper Route having no hits,' before Govan told him about them. He said Govan hired him to 'do the hits," and was going to take $10,000 as his cut. Govan was also the person who told him and Johnson that Young Dolph would be in Memphis for the Thanksgiving turkey giveaway, so 'that's our opportunity,' Smith said. Prosecutors introduced as evidence cellphone communications involving Johnson, Smith, Govan and Big Jook ahead of the shooting. Meanwhile, Govan's defense attorney, Manny Arora, tried to paint Smith as an unreliable witness and a 'pathological liar' who would say anything to try to get a lighter sentence. He also questioned the validity of the cellphone communications, saying none directly incriminated Govan. Arora pointed to previous testimony where Smith recalled a chance encounter with Big Jook. At the time, Smith implied that Big Jook was the person who hired him. After Smith was arrested, his attorney called Big Jook's attorney and received somewhere between $38,000 and $50,000 in cash. Smith said on Monday that he did not know who had supplied the money. Smith also testified that he previously heard that Govan might be working with the FBI. Arora asked why Smith would take a job from Govan if that were the case. Smith said that Govan was 'innocent until proven guilty.' Govan did not testify in his defense. A trial date has not been set for Smith. Johnson was sentenced to life in prison in September 2024. He was later sentenced to 35 additional years in prison for two other convictions from the trial: conspiracy to commit murder and possessing a gun as a felon. Young Dolph began his career by releasing numerous mixtapes. His studio albums include his 2016 debut, 'King of Memphis.' He also collaborated on other mixtapes and albums with fellow rappers Key Glock, Megan Thee Stallion, T.I., Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and others. Young Dolph had three albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with 2020′s 'Rich Slave' peaking at No. 4.
San Francisco Chronicle
15 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Jury begins deliberating in trial of Memphis man charged with organizing Young Dolph's killing
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A jury began deliberating Wednesday in the trial of a man charged with organizing the daytime ambush killing of rapper Young Dolph at a Memphis bakery in November 2021. The trial of Hernandez Govan, 45, began Monday in a Memphis courtroom. Govan is charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder and first-degree murder. He is not accused of shooting Young Dolph, but prosecutors claim he directed the two people who did and was criminally responsible for the commission of premeditated murder. The 12-person jury began deliberating at about 5:15 p.m., after prosecutors and a defense attorney delivered closing arguments. Young Dolph — a rapper, independent label owner and producer whose legal name was Adolph Thornton Jr. — grew up in Memphis and was admired in the city for his charitable works. The 36-year-old was in his hometown to hand out Thanksgiving turkeys to families when his visit to his favorite cookie shop turned into an attack that shocked the entertainment world. Authorities said two men exited a white Mercedes-Benz and began shooting at the rapper at the bakery on Nov. 17, 2021. He died after being shot about 20 times, according to a medical examiner's report. Testifying against Govan was Cornelius Smith Jr., who has admitted to being one of the two shooters who ambushed Young Dolph. Smith previously was the main trial witness against Justin Johnson, who was convicted of first-degree murder in 2024 after Smith named him as the second shooter. Memphis prosecutors have portrayed the killing as part an effort by Anthony 'Big Jook' Mims to get revenge on Young Dolph for diss tracks aimed at Big Jook and the record label he helped run for his brother, rapper Yo Gotti. Smith has testified that Big Jook put out a $100,000 hit on Young Dolph as well as smaller bounties on all the artists at Young Dolph's record label, Paper Route Empire. At the earlier trial of Justin Johnson, a prosecutor told jurors that Cocaine Muzik Group (now known as Collective Music Group), a rival record label founded by Yo Gotti, wanted Young Dolph to work for them, but he turned them down. Big Jook was shot and killed outside a restaurant in January 2024. Prosecutors argued Govan was the middle man between Big Jook and the two shooters. Smith testified on Monday that 'I didn't know anything about Paper Route having no hits,' before Govan told him about them. He said Govan hired him to 'do the hits," and was going to take $10,000 as his cut. Govan was also the person who told him and Johnson that Young Dolph would be in Memphis for the Thanksgiving turkey giveaway, so 'that's our opportunity,' Smith said. Prosecutors introduced as evidence cellphone communications involving Johnson, Smith, Govan and Big Jook ahead of the shooting. Meanwhile, Govan's defense attorney, Manny Arora, tried to paint Smith as an unreliable witness and a 'pathological liar' who would say anything to try to get a lighter sentence. He also questioned the validity of the cellphone communications, saying none directly incriminated Govan. Arora pointed to previous testimony where Smith recalled a chance encounter with Big Jook. At the time, Smith implied that Big Jook was the person who hired him. After Smith was arrested, his attorney called Big Jook's attorney and received somewhere between $38,000 and $50,000 in cash. Smith said on Monday that he did not know who had supplied the money. Smith also testified that he previously heard that Govan might be working with the FBI. Arora asked why Smith would take a job from Govan if that were the case. Smith said that Govan was 'innocent until proven guilty.' Govan did not testify in his defense. A trial date has not been set for Smith. Johnson was sentenced to life in prison in September 2024. He was later sentenced to 35 additional years in prison for two other convictions from the trial: conspiracy to commit murder and possessing a gun as a felon. Young Dolph began his career by releasing numerous mixtapes. His studio albums include his 2016 debut, 'King of Memphis.' He also collaborated on other mixtapes and albums with fellow rappers Key Glock, Megan Thee Stallion, T.I., Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz and others. Young Dolph had three albums reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200, with 2020′s 'Rich Slave' peaking at No. 4.
