Joss Stone a 'Mariah Carey wannabe'

LONDON, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- British blues diva Joss Stone may have bought a first-class ticket out of the recording industry by choosing to represent herself, former managers claim.

Stone, 20, had four management teams since 2003 when she exploded on the music scene, heralded as the second coming of Aretha Franklin.

But despite their efforts, the songstress is not seeing her fame sustained outside of England, and she blames her management.

“I’m never having a manager ever again. I’ve had four in the past five years and I hate them all,” The Daily Mail quoted Stone as saying.

Two of her former managers, Alex Cole and Ron Stone, no relation, told the British newspaper, however, that “If she’s not careful she could derail her career.”

Stone shared a Grammy award this year with Sly and the Family Stone for a remake of the Family Stone hit “Family Affair,” but it's feared her meandering genre choices jeopardize her future.

Stone started her career with the brassy sound of a seasoned delta-blues crooner, but recently has changed course to a more American pop sound.

“She had something unique but now she sounds just like another Mariah Carey wannabe,” Ron Stone told the Mail.