D’Angelo, a legendary musician who helped pioneer the neo-soul music genre with his sultry singles about love and relationships, has died. He was 51.
The singer-songwriter, whose real name was Michael Eugene Archer, passed away on Tuesday, his son Michael Archer II said in a statement to Urban Hollywood 411, via Ra-Fael Blanco of The Blanco Agency.
“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 read.
“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 to join us in mourning his passing while also celebrating the gift of song that he has left for the world,” the statement continued.
Related: Grammy-Nominated Soul Singer Angie Stone Killed in Car Crash
D’Angelo had been privately battling pancreatic cancer, sources told TMZ on Tuesday.
Born in Richmond, Virginia in 1974, the then-aspiring musician learned to play the guitar, piano, and drums. He dropped out of school and moved to New York as a teenager to pursue a career in music.
D’Angelo was widely recognized as a visionary who elevated the neo-soul genre, that combined traditional R&B sounds with hip-hop influences.
His 1995 debut album Brown Sugar featured the chart-topping singles “Lady,” “Cruisin,” and “Brown Sugar.” The album received critical acclaim, went platinum and spent 65 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart, according to Billboard.
The Virginia native went on to collaborate with female neo-soul artists, including Erykah Badu and his then-girlfriend Angie Stone.
He also appeared on Lauryn Hill’s groundbreaking The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album in 1998.
D’Angelo’s second studio album titled Voodoo was released in 2000, and exploded in popularity thanks to the lead single “Untitled (How Does It Feel).”
The LP debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It received critical acclaim, and earned him Grammy Awards for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Album.
The music video for, “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” featured a shirtless and fit D’Angelo standing in one place as he gazed into the camera and sang. The video cemented his status as a sex symbol, a title the singer later admitted he was uncomfortable with.
He stepped back from the public eye for years, then returned to the spotlight with his third studio album, Black Messiah, in 2014. It featured his band The Vanguard, and collaborations with Questlove and Q-Tip.
The album’s breakout single “Really Love,” won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Song and the album picked up the Grammy for Best R&B album.
Throughout his career, D’Angelo won a total of four Grammys and received 14 nominations, according to Grammy.com.
With his popularity soaring, the singer gained mainstream success and served as musical guest on a 2015 episode of Saturday Night Live.
There were also demons. Between albums he battled alcohol and drug addiction.
A 2019 documentary titled Devil’s Pie – D’Angelo offered a rare look at his struggles with substance abuse. The film chronicled his “The Second Coming” tour in support of the Black Messiah album, and documented parts of his private life.
“I started going down a dark path,” D’Angelo said in the film. “I started drinking and getting high. It was tough to get out of it.” His addiction led to multiple stints in rehab.
The documentary played at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and received positive reviews.
Following news of D’Angelo’s death on Tuesday, fans on social media called for the documentary to receive a wider release.
Last year, Raphael Saadiq said in a podcast interview with Rolling Stone that D’Angelo was working on a comeback and a fourth album.
D’Angelo is survived by two sons and a daughter. Angie Stone, who was the mother of his eldest son, died earlier this year in a car accident.
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