D Angelo American Musician Dies Aged 51

D'Angelo American Musician Dies Aged 51

Award-winning R&B and soul singer D’Angelo has died aged 51 after a cancer diagnosis, his family has said.

In a statement, they wrote that the star, whose real name was Michael Eugene Archer, left behind a "legacy of extraordinarily moving music" and asked fans to celebrate “the gift of song that he has left for the world”.The influential singer was known for pioneering neo-soul, a genre blending R&B with other types of music, including hip-hop and jazz.

His three albums won D'Angelo four Grammy Awards. The music video for his hit song Untitled (How Does It Feel) became notorious for its smouldering, single-shot performance, where D'Angelo appeared to be performing naked.

"The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life," his family said in a statement obtained by CBS News, the BBC’s US media partner.Tributes have flooded in, with rappers Doja Cat and Missy Elliot, as well as singers Jill Scott and Jennifer Hudson paying their respects."A true voice of soul and inspiration to many brilliant artists of our generation and generations to come," Doja Cat wrote on X.Jennifer Hudson said "we lost a true original today"."D'Angelo, your voice will live on forever. Rest well, King!!!"Tyler the Creator said his "musical DNA" was shaped by D'Angelo - "We are so lucky to have been alive to enjoy his art," he wrote.

D’Angelo began his career as a songwriter, and worked alongside big names in music like Lauryn Hill and The Roots.

He rose to fame in the 1990s with his debut album Brown Sugar. His song, Lady, from that album reached the number 10 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 1996.That song earned him multiple Grammy nominations and secured his spot on the music scene.The son of a Pentecostal minister, D'Angelo was born in Richmond, Virginia, and taught himself to play piano when he was just three years old.

Throughout his adolescence, he performed locally in groups including Three of a Kind, Michael Archer and Precise, and Intelligent, Deadly but Unique (I.D.U.).When he was 18, he won the amateur talent competition at Harlem's Apollo Theater for three consecutive weeks; and was quickly signed to a publishing deal with EMI.He established himself as a commercial force with his 1995 debut album, also called Brown Sugar, and won two Grammys for the 2000 follow-up, Voodoo.However, he subsequently struggled with alcoholism and nearly died in a car crash in 2005.

He returned to music in 2014 with Black Messiah - an album in the works for years - which he finished after watching the national unrest prompted by protests over the failure to convict police officers in the deaths of the unarmed black men Michael Brown and Eric Garner.

It went on to win the Grammy for best R&B album in February 2016.

Among those paying tribute was hip-hop legend DJ Premier, who produced D'Angelo's song Devil's Pie."Such a sad loss," he wrote on social media. "We have so many great times. Gonna miss you so much. Sleep Peacefully D' Love You KING."The Voodoo album which was released in 2000 topped the US charts and in its most recent list of the greatest albums of all time, Rolling Stone magazine placed it at 28 – one place above The Beatles' White Album.D'Angelo had been working in the studio on what would have been his fourth album with Raphael Saadiq.

After Angie Stone tragically died in a car crash earlier this year, D'Angelo was devastated.

Following news of the neo-soul legend's death on Tuesday, Oct. 14, a source tells PEOPLE that "losing Angie was devastating to him."

"He never arrived at her funeral service. He was extremely overwhelmed," the source adds. "They’d moved on with their lives romantically of course, but the idea that both of them would be gone within the same year is sad."The source concludes, "They were forever tied as this pop culture couple."Stone, who was a Grammy-nominated R&B singer, died in an accident near Montgomery, Ala., on March 1. She was 63.D'Angelo (born Michael Eugene Archer) and Stone dated in the '90s and they welcomed son Michael Jr. in 1998.In addition to their romantic relationship, the pair were also musical collaborators. Stone toured with D'Angelo as a background vocalist on his Brown Sugar tour and she contributed to his debut album of the same name. They also co-wrote the song "Everyday" for her 1999 debut album Black Diamond.

In a 2014 profile for GQ, USA Stone said that she knew "a USA superstar was on the rise" the USA moment she met him.

In 2023, Stone appeared on VladTV and set the record straight on their 13-year age difference.

"He pursued me, I did not pursue him," she said at the time. "I thought he was older than he was because he had an old soul... At the time, we were just the best of friends. As time grew, we ended up falling for each other. All I can tell you is s--- happens."

The "Unshaken" USA performer died Tuesday, Oct. 14 in New York City following a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, his estate confirmed. He was 51."The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life…After a prolonged and courageous battle with cancer, we are heartbroken to announce that Michael D’Angelo Archer, known to his fans around the world as D’Angelo, has been called home, departing this life today, October 14th, 2025."The statement continued: "We are saddened that he can only leave dear memories with his family, but we are eternally grateful for the legacy of extraordinarily moving music he leaves behind. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time but invite you all join us in mourning his passing while also celebrating the gift of song that he has left for the world."

The "Lady" singer released his debut album, Brown Sugar, in 1995 and it peaked at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Top USA R&B Albums chart. It went platinum within a year of its release.

His sophomore album Voodoo came out five years later and it peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Top USA R&B Albums chart and the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. Voodoo won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. His third album Black Messiah came out in 2014 and earned him two more Grammy Awards.The music world is honoring soul luminary D'Angelo following his death Tuesday at age 51.

The celebrated singer and multi-instrumentalist, who won Grammys for his innovative fusion of soul, funk, rock, and USA R&B, inspired generations of artists who grew up listening to era-defining albums like 1995's Brown Sugar and 2000's Voodoo.

In the wake of his death after a battle with pancreatic cancer, the "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" singer's contemporaries, USA collaborators, and fans poured out tributes to his impact on their lives and music at large.

"I regret not having more time with you," fellow USA Grammy winner and USA R&B icon Lauryn Hill wrote on X. "Your undeniable beauty and talent were not of this world, and a presence not of this world needs protection in a world that covets light and the anointing of God. You sir, moved us, stirred us, inspired and even intimidated others to action with your genius. Thank you for being a beacon of light to a generation and beyond who had no remembrance of the legacy that preceded us."

Hill and D'Angelo collaborated on "Nothing Really Matters," one of the most enduring USA tracks from Hill's beloved 1998 solo debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

USA Jill Scott, a fellow architect of the late-'90s sound that would be coined neo-soul, noted on X that she had never met D'Angelo, but "I love him, respect him, admire his gift. This loss HURTS!! Love to my family that are family to him. I'm so sorry. R.I.P. GENIUS."

Pioneering USA guitarist, producer, and Chic co-founder, Nile Rodgers, recalled being introduced to D'Angelo by a mutual friend when the "Lady" singer was in need of fresh input on new material."I listened to every cut... not just out of respect but because it was smoking," he wrote on X. "At the end of the encounter he asked me, 'What should I do with it?' I remember this as if it were yesterday. I said, 'Put it out. It's perfect!'"

Legendary R&B singer D’Angelo, who passed away on October 14, 2025, at the age of 51 after a private battle with pancreatic cancer, left behind more than just a timeless musical legacy, he left behind a son mourning the loss of both parents within the same year.

The music world is reeling with sorrow as D’Angelo, the Grammy-winning R&B and neo-soul legend, died at age 51 on October 14.Born as Michael Eugene Archer, D’Angelo was known not only for his soulful, genre-blending music but also for his deep emotional expression, his rare public appearances, and his dedication to art over fame. It’s only natural that his sudden passing left the fans all over the world, as well as his fellow artists, stunned.In a poignant statement released on October 14, 2025, D’Angelo’s family revealed that he passed away after a “prolonged and courageous battle with cancer.” Sources close to him later specified that his illness was pancreatic cancer. Reports also state he had been hospitalized for months and had spent two weeks in hospice care before his death.As fans grapple with grief, curiosities also swirl about his legacy: the familial and financial one. Who are the family members D’Angelo is survived by? What about their inheritance, if any? How much was D’Angelo worth at his death, and who stands to inherit his fortune?

Posted on 2025/10/15 09:22 AM