Barbara “Stonye” Figueroa, legendary member of The Ikettes, the female vocal group who backed the Ike and Tina Turner Revue, has died at age 78. According to a statement from the family, Figueroa died on July 5 in Las Vegas, following a courageous battle with illness.
For more than six decades, Figueroa’s fingerprints could be found throughout the entertainment industry, not only on stages around the world, but throughout the lives of legendary performers, celebrated vocal groups, and the countless artists and young people she mentored along the way.
Born February 29, 1948, in Shreveport, Louisiana, Figueroa entered the world with a spirit that would ultimately leave an extraordinary mark on everyone fortunate enough to know her. She was the beloved daughter of a devoted mother who worked as a nurse and a father of full-blooded Blackfoot Native American heritage. Alongside her older brother, she learned resilience, compassion, discipline, and perseverance, qualities that would define both her life and her career.
She began performing at an early age, and in 1966, Figueroa joined Johnny Otis – widely recognized as the “Godfather of Rhythm and Blues” – as one of his celebrated Otisettes. As a member of the Otisettes, she recorded on Epic Records and sang lead on the 1972 release, “Sitting Alone in My Lonely Room.” She performed with Otis for more than a decade and would later return to continue their musical partnership for many years afterward.
In 1969, Figueroa joined the legendary Ike and Tina Turner Revue as one of the Ikettes, performing
alongside Ester Jones and Claudia Lennear in the female trio. On January 11, 1970, she appeared
with the group on The Ed Sullivan Show for a three-song performance that included “Funky Street,”
“Bold Soul Sister,” and an electrifying version of “Proud Mary” that would help to catapult the group to
mainstream success.
During this era, she also performed in Las Vegas opposite Redd Foxx and appeared on nationally televised programs including The Andy Williams Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. In 1974, Figueroa won The Gong Show with her group, Stonye and the Stonettes. She later returned twice as a solo performer, becoming a three-time champion and later reminiscing about her win, “I even got a 10 from Rex Reed and JP Morgan!”
Beginning in the late 1970s and continuing through the early 1980s, she became a respected celebrity hairstylist. For approximately five years she created many of Rick James’ signature hairstyles and styled Ola Ray, El DeBarge, Bill Whitten (Michael Jackson’s clothing designer), Dawn Silva (original member of Brides of Funkenstein), members of the Mary Jane Girls, Jermaine Stewart, and many others.
Throughout the early 1980s into the early 2000s, Figueroa toured with acclaimed tribute productions which she wrote and produced, honoring Diana Ross, The Supremes, and The Shirelles. Her daughters, Cheaza and Kiearah, later joined these productions, performing alongside their mother during the early 1990s and again in the early 2000s.
In 1993, Figueroa was instrumental in forming the original lineup of what would become superstar R&B vocal group, All-4-One. She brought Andre Washington, Jamie Jones, Alfred Nevarez, and Tony Borowiak together, recognizing their remarkable chemistry and helping open doors that would lead to the group’s professional success. As the group’s journey evolved, Delious Kennedy later joined the ensemble, completing the lineup that signed with Atlantic Records and achieved worldwide success.
Figueroa later returned as one of the original Ikettes during Ike Turner’s international revival tours, including the Summer 2002 International Festival Circuit in Germany. She and Turner remained friends until his passing on December 12, 2007. In 2013, Figueroa’s contributions were preserved in the Academy Award-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom, honoring the extraordinary contributions of background singers to music history. Archival footage in the film featured her alongside Ike and Tina Turner.
While music would eventually take her around the world, the greatest title she ever held was that of “Mother.” She was the proud mother of Cheaza, Kiearah, Johnny, and Dorian, a devoted grandmother to eight grandchildren, and a loving great grandmother to ten great grandchildren. Her greatest joy was watching her family grow, pursue their dreams, and build lives filled with purpose. She celebrated every accomplishment, encouraged every aspiration, and never stopped believing in the limitless potential of those she loved. She passed her love of music directly to her daughters; Kiearah currently tours a Tina Turner musical tribute show, and Cheaza travels internationally performing her acclaimed Whitney Houston musical tribute show and is one-half of the country music duo, HuneyFire.
Throughout her remarkable career, she believed that true success meant lifting others along the way. Whether mentoring young performers, encouraging emerging artists, or creating opportunities for those around her, she quietly changed lives, a legacy that became just as meaningful as the stages she performed on.
Barbara “Stonye” Figueroa was more than an entertainer. She was a pioneer, a visionary, a teacher, a mentor, and a woman whose greatest gift was making others believe they could achieve more than they ever imagined. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, colleagues, and the countless lives she touched throughout her extraordinary life.
“When we went, we went to win… and that’s exactly what we always did.”
– Barbara “Stonye” Figueroa
February 29, 1948 – July 5, 2026
