On Aug. 31, Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre will welcome British singer-songwriter Joss Stone to the stage. Her gravely-but-lustrous vocals promise a captivating blend of neo-soul and retro R&B music. This show was originally set for July 13, but due to illness, it needed to be rescheduled.
Stone began her professional singing career at age 15 as a teen soul prodigy and released her multi-platinum selling debut album The Soul Sessions in 2003. The album featured covers of classic soul tracks by Aretha Franklin, Laura Lee and Bettye Swann and was a number-one hit in the UK and made the top 40 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart.
She quickly released her follow-up album Mind, Body & Soul in 2004 which included mostly original material and spawned the UK top 10 single “You Had Me.” Both the album and single earned her Grammy nominations. The record established Stone as a serious new songwriter and quieted critics who may have seen her as a teenage flash-in-the-pan.
2007 brought Introducing Joss Stone, a critically-acclaimed third record from an artist who still wasn’t old enough to legally toast her success with a glass of wine in the US (not so in Britain, of course).
Stone branched out musically when she joined SuperHeavy, the one-off supergroup project that included Mick Jagger, Dave Stewart, A.R. Rahman and Damian Marley. The band’s 2011 self-titled album showcased a wide range of musical influences like reggae, world music and Indian pop. She then collaborated with Marley again for Water For Soul, an album that featured reggae, world music, soul and R&B.
Stone embarked on a 5-year “Total World Tour,” a quest to play every country on the globe. In Iran, her 200th country, public performances by women are illegal and they deported her, leaving her one-country short of her goal.
This year, Stone is on tour in support of her new album, Never Forget My Love. Her latest single “Oh to Be Loved by You” is a breezy, contemporary R&B dance and feel good number. “You’re My Girl” reboots the retro texture reminiscent of a Motown classic and “Breaking Each Other’s Heart” features her rich crooning vocals accompanied by a ‘60s style orchestra. Stone described the new album’s inspirations as “Dusty Springfield, Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick—those kinds of classy, timeless songs. Think long gloves and a dress.” I think I’m going to enjoy some fresh old-school styled soul and R&B on the lawn in my shorts and t-shirt. I’ll be sure to wear a fine brim in her honor.
Opening is Cory Henry, an internationally renowned artist, record producer, and composer who won multiple Grammys as a member of Snarky Puppy. His music ranges from soul to R&B to funk and jazz.
- Who: Joss Stone with special guest Cory Henry
- What: Never Forget My Love Tour
- Where: Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre
- When: Aug. 31, 2022
- Tickets and info: redbuttegarden.org
