Grammy-award winner Joss Stone belts it out in Beaver Creek

Joss Stone’s depth — and soul — became apparent through her powerhouse voice when she released “The Soul Sessions” at age 16. Since then, she has crossed genres and followed her own voice, rather than record labels’ demands. The result: Nine studio albums, which have sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.

The Grammy and Brit award-winning musician has collaborated with legendary artists, including James Brown and Melissa Etheridge — two musicians her parents listened to, along with plenty of others. She tells the story of how her mom went to a Whitney Houston concert with Stone in her womb.

“That playlist was my food,” she said about growing up listening to the music her parents love (including reggae and greats like Anita Baker). “I was born into and surrounded by that soul.”

---

---

She lightheartedly jokes that her singing career began because she wanted to keep her horse, Freddy. She grew up as a “country girl” with cows, sheep and horses, but when her dad had to sell Freddy because he cost too much, she began wondering what she could do to make money. She realized she could sing, so, at age 12, she asked her parents to drive her to London to audition for a television show. She made it, and since then, in those 25 years, she also has managed to avoid some of the pitfalls of being a popular musician.

“I didn’t go through any craziness that working in this industry can (bring). I feel pretty normal because I see it for what it is. It’s show biz. When you’re doing the show, you do the show, but then you have to be normal after that,” she said, talking about how, when musicians think they’re “bigger or more important — that’s when it goes wrong.”

---

---

Her delightful personality and openness shines through on stage as she chats with the audience.

“I feel like the audience is part of the show. We have a lovely little community,” she said. “I like to give a bit of hope and at least a little strength.”

She has used her own strength to leave record labels that wanted to pigeonhole her. Instead, she has made a name for herself by fusing her soulful vocals with reggae, world music and hip-hop.

“I was perturbed with the record labels and felt stuck creatively and musically, and I decided I did not want to be in that, so I left to do what I wanted,” she said.

She followed her vision of playing a gig in every country, and it took six years; she finished her Total World Tour in 2019. During that time, she found ways to work on charitable projects in more than 200 countries. She also collaborated with local musicians, singing in different languages and playing various instruments and rhythms.

“From that world tour, I’ve been freed,” she said.

Now, her Ellipsis tour indicates an evolution that is “to be continued, filling in the dots and filling in the blanks that we feel good about,” she said. She is working on a new studio album, due out next year.

“Singing, for me, is just like breathing,” she said. “My songs tell a story. They are moments for me, and they are moments for the people who hear them. Sometimes, a song can be a soundtrack to your life … they’re like a piece of my diary. … It’s like a real therapy session. Maybe that’s how I stay sane.”