JOSS STONE
It also made her an unlikely champion of the vintage soul and funk music her parents often listened to at home while she was growing up.
Blessed with a vibrant, old-school voice that made her sound a lot more like Aretha Franklin in the 1960s than a gangly, blond-haired teenager from the pastoral countryside of Devon, England, Stone ignited almost instantly. Her first two albums, 2003's retro-fueled "The Soul Sessions" and 2004's somewhat more contemporary "Mind, Body & Soul," sold 7.5 million copies worldwide.
A young emulator, not an innovator, she isn't nearly as great as Franklin. Then again, who is? But Stone sounded remarkably more mature and experienced than her age. And she wisely refrained from the bludgeoning vocal pyrotechnics too many young singers sadly now favor in this era of "American Idol" histrionics.
"I don't show off," Stone affirmed from a recent tour stop in Los Angeles. "It's very self-indulgent if you do."
In 2005, she succeeded "Sex in the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker as the celebrity spokeswoman for the Gap, although Stone's behind was apparently replaced in Gap ads by a more, um, ample bottom. "That's not my bum, I promise," the photogenic singer said at the time. "Apparently, I need a J.Lo bum."
Her third album, "Introducing Joss Stone," which features cameos by Lauryn Hill and rapper Common, debuted in late March at No. 2 on the national Billboard charts. That's the highest debut by any female artist from the United Kingdom since Billboard began using Nielsen SoundScan in 1992 to track album sales. Now ranked at No. 16, it was certified gold on May 3 for reaching the 500,000 sales mark.
It is the first of her albums for which she wrote or co-wrote all of the songs. It's also the first to reflect her musical vision, not that of her producers or record company, which preferred to have her focus on vintage hits by Franklin, the Isley Brothers, Joe Simon and veteran R&B vocalist Betty Wright (who co-produced and sang on "The Soul Sessions").
"I was allowed to comment, but I wasn't allowed to change anything," Stone recalled of her debut album. "It wasn't like I was telling them what to do. It was other way around, which was fine with me, because I was 15.
"So I sat down, shut up, and listened, although I always voiced my opinions. This time I can like my album. Because it's my opinion that counts. And if anybody questions me, they can (expletive) off, because it's my life."
That it is. And her new album's title, "Introducing Joss Stone," was chosen specifically to reflect the artistic change and independence she says she has finally achieved.
"It's so obvious how I've moved on and grown, and that I'm not sticking to one thing, which is boring to me," said Stone.
"I'll go around to all these different countries and I get all these funny questions. The worst one is: 'So, Joss, why did you change?' And I'll be like: 'What the (expletive) did you expect me to do?' I was 15 when I started, and now I'm 20. If I didn't change there'd be something physically wrong with me and I'd have to go to the hospital."
A seasoned performer, Stone has shared concert stages with everyone from James Brown and the Rolling Stones to Patti Labelle and John Mayer. On July 1, she'll appear at London's massive Wembley Stadium as part of the "Concert for Diana" tribute, along with Elton John, Kanye West, Bryan Ferry, Duran Duran, Pharell Williams and at least 10 other top artists.
Stone, who performed to an audience of 200,000 as part of 2005's Live 8 concert in London's Hyde Park, is no stranger to big gigs. But she acknowledges that a lot has changed since her first tour four years ago.
"To be honest, in the beginning - when I was 16 and first put my band together - I was very shy," she said. "My musical director at the time said: 'You have to lead us.' And, at that age, I was like: 'No, I can't! I don't know how to do that. How about you lead the band for a while, and I'll learn?'
"So that's what happened - he led and I learned. Now it's flipped and I know how to show them and have more confidence how to do it. I'm the first person to say 'I don't know how to do that.' But I have a very clear vision in my head."
Stone, who is the proud owner of a poodle named Dusty Springfield, laughed when asked how much she improvises during her concerts.
"Oh, my god! Every single day I sing differently," she said. "Not once have I ever sung it the same, because I can't remember it. But that's not the point, is it? I'm not a really choreographed person, because it doesn't suit me to be that way.
"When I get on stage I do whatever I feel like. We have a set list, but then - however my voice is playing - we'll change it. I kind of make it up as we go along. I love to write and I love to sing. I think I have to work mostly on musically understanding it. Because I can sing to somebody what I want to hear on the bass or keyboards, but I can't tell them what the notes are and I'd really love to do that. That's why I love my band. They understand me."
Stone has discovered one unexpected drawback to her success, despite the fact that she's young, rich and beautiful - or, perhaps, because she is young, rich and beautiful - men tend to be intimidated by her.
"They are intimidated, but that is an inner issue with them and it is kind of irritating," said Stone, who is nearly 6 feet tall without heels.
"At the end of the day, I'm a normal girl who is making a name for herself. And that's what it is: I'm making some noise. A lot of people happen to like it, and that's nice and I love it. But how does that make me scary? I don't know why it does. It wouldn't scare me, but that's because this is my life and I've never been in another position. This has been my first and only job since I was 14, so I'm a very lucky girl.
"But if guys are intimidated by me, well (expletive) it!"
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