Tyler Perry delivers a heartfelt message in honor of Angie Stone during her funeral at Word of Faith Cathedral in Austell, Georgia.
Perry didn’t know her personally, sharing that he would see her at shows. He shared a story tharvTaraji P. Henson shared with him of her seeing Stone perform during the time she was working on the set of Baby Boy and how she didn’t perform because a promoter refused to pay her. Instead, she sung to Henson personally at a club, giving Henson her money worth.
“That’s the heart of a person. That’s the soul of a person who cared about her fans,” said Perry.
He also expressed his anger about how the music industry treated her. Perry was recently made aware of the challenges she faced in thr industry in trying to recoup the money she was owed. Perry didn’t hold back, sharing some harsh criticism on her treatment in the music industry.
“To think that this woman was in the business for all of these years… All of those years, all of those songs, all of that money that was owed to her. Where is it? It’s wrong,” Perry expressed.
“It’s wrong, this is wrong, and I’m tired of seeing us struggle and go through things and work hard and not reap the benefits of what we were supposed to reap,” he said.
Perry didn’t stop there with his rant on promoters and record labels.
“Women like Angie Stone, who’ve been in the business all these years, you’re gonna forget about what she did? All of the people that she put on and helped? See, you got to go through something to write a song like ’20 Dollars,’” he said.
He also shared that she was a prophet, using metaphors from the lyrics of her song, “No More Rain (In This Cloud),” as he best describe in relations to the weather from his experience as a pilot. He shared that when you’re all cried out, there’s no more rain in the clouds it dissipates.
He emphasizes the verses to the song, “What goes around comes around. What goes up must come down. The things you do come back to you,” biblically telling the crowd you reap what you sow and to touch not my anointed.
Tyler left a powerful message for those who have experienced unappreciation, overlooked, or drained from constantly giving to others.
“If you are like her and like me, who get tired of helping people and watch ’em dog you out…If you are like her and like me, I’m gonna tell you this, “Don’t stop doing good. Don’t stop being kind. Be not weary in your well-doing, for in due season, you will reap a harvest of blessings.”
Stone was outspoken before her death about the unfair treatment she received in the music industry and the royalties she is due.
