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D’Angelo, the Grammy-winning R&B singer who helped pioneer the sound of neo-soul, has died. He was 51.
The singer, born Michael Eugene Archer, died on Tuesday morning at his home in New York after privately suffering from pancreatic cancer, his family confirmed to Variety.
“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,” his family said in a statement. “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.”
D’Angelo burst on to the scene in 1995 with his debut album Brown Sugar, which married classic R&B melodies with the sounds of hip-hop and notched his first Top 10 single with Lady. His follow-up album, the 2000 classic Voodoo, solidified his status at one of the fathers of the stripped-down, hearty sounds of neo-soul. He was as influential as he was elusive, not releasing a follow-up to Voodoo until late 2014, with his third and final album Black Messiah.
D’Angelo won four Grammys over the course of his career, including best R&B album for Voodoo in 2001 and for Black Messiah in 2016. He also won for best R&B song in 2016 for Really Love and best R&B vocal performance for Untitled (How Does It Feel), whose music video – in which the singer appeared seemingly unclothed against a stark black background – turned D’Angelo into an international sex symbol in the early 2000s.
Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, D’Angelo gravitated toward music at an early age. He began playing piano at the age of three, playing in the church alongside his father, who was a Pentecostal minister. He continued to perform locally in a variety of groups, including Three of a Kind, Michael Archer and Precise, and Intelligent, Deadly but Unique (IDU).
He signed with the record label EMI in 1993, at the age of 19. The following year, he scored his breakout hit when he co-wrote and co-produced the 1994 song U Will Know for the R&B supergroup Black Men United, featuring Usher, Brian McKnight, R Kelly, Boyz II Men, Raphael Saadiq and Gerald Levert. Following the slow-burn success of Brown Sugar, D’Angelo struggled with writer’s block and the pressures of fame, often taking long breaks from the spotlight.
D’Angelo is survived by three children. The mother of his eldest son, soul singer Angie Stone, died earlier this year in a car crash at the age of 63.
Shortly after news of his death, former collaborators and artists influenced by his music paid tribute on social media.
“Say it ain’t so, but we just lost a friend, a creator & legend, D’Angelo,” wrote Bootsy Collins on X.
Writing on X, singer Doja Cat praised D’Angelo as “a true voice of soul and inspiration to many brilliant artists of our generation and generations to come”.
Singer-songwriter Jill Scott also paid tribute to the king of neo-soul: “I never met D’Angelo but I love him, respect him, admire his gift,” she wrote on X. “This loss HURTS!! Love to my family that are family to him. I’m so sorry. R.I.P. GENIUS.
More details soon …
