Joscelyn Eve Stoker was born on April 11, 1987, in the pastoral country of Dover, England. At the age of 14, she auditioned for a popular BBC show, Star for a Night. Once onstage, the audience expected another squeaky blonde cutie to sort of entertain them; but out of this giggly teenager came a vocal reincarnation of Gladys Knight rolled up with Janis Joplin and a dash of Dusty Springfield , as she performed Aretha Franklin's classic "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman."

Anticipating an impending career as a singer, Joscelyn and her mother, Wendy, changed her name to the catchier and sultrier Joss Stone . They then flew to New York to meet with Steve Greenberg, CEO of S-Curve Records (known for popularizing Hanson and the Baha Men's "Who Let the Dogs Out"). Entranced by her soulful power, Greenberg signed her on and hired Miami soul

legend Betty Wright to refine her singing. Greenberg and Wright teamed her up with a Miami soul dream team, including guitarist Little Beaver, organist Timmy Thomas and keyboardist Latimore.

In just four days they recorded a suite of lost soul gems and a cover of The White Stripes' "Fell In Love With a Girl" (renamed "Fell In Love With a Boy") with hip-hop heavyweights The Roots - The result was her debut album, The Soul Sessions, which came out on September 16, 2003.

Joss' mother manages the young diva's shows and tours. In her very short career, she has performed at such noted venues as Joe's Pub in New York and The Troubadour in Los Angeles. She has also appeared on the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn, Ellen, and in People magazine. She even finished a tour in which she opened for Simply Red; Chicago's House of Blues was among the venues.

A year after her debut release, Joss' follow up album Mind, Body & Soul proved that Joss could take on original music. Hits like "Right To Be Wrong" and "You Had Me" enjoyed radio play, and she even contributed to the Alfie soundtrack in 2004, with the songs "Wicked Time" (featuring Mick Jagger ) and a cover of the title track. After receiving three nominations at the 2005 Grammys, including one for Best New Artist, Joss Stone was tapped to replace Sarah Jessica Parker in the Gap's TV and print ads for its 2005 summer line.