Angie Stone

R&B singer Angie Stone has faced a lot of tough times but she has overcome it all with a positive soul. Stone, best known for songs like "Brotha" and "No More Rain," was sick, in the hospital for a few days last year to treat congestive heart failure. With a 10-year-old son (fathered by D'Angelo) and a 23-year-old daughter, Stone decided to change her life, joining VH1's "Celebrity Fit Club" and starting on a journey of self-motivation. Even though “Celebrity Fit Club” helped her dropped more than 40 pounds, Stone says it was very difficult. Stone, who released her latest studio album via the historic Stax Records, says she is gracious for the opportunity and that her previous rumored drop from J Records was untrue. “It was very difficult, because "Celebrity Fit Club" is a reality show. I found it to be very deceiving, and it kind of got in the way of my spirit. You never saw any of the races that I won, and they showed all this drama. I was a little disappointed with that. It's not a real reality, the show. ... I've gotten smaller since then.” “J Records actually led me to believe we were recording a regular album,” she tells the Associated Press. “Half way through the process, they said they wanted to do a greatest hits album (2005's "Stone Hits: The Very Best of Angie Stone") to save costs ... That was speaking volumes to what my future would be. A lot of people want to know if I was dropped (from J Records). I wasn't dropped, I asked for a release. ... Before they could do that to me, drop me, I said, "Why don't you release me and we can all be happy?" ... Stax came to me and offered me the opportunity to join, an amazing opportunity.”