Published on: Oct 15, 2025 12:19 am IST

Neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo, greatest recognized for hits like Untitled (How Does It Feel) and Brown Sugar, has died after a non-public battle with most cancers. He was 51.

D’Angelo, the acclaimed neo-soul singer who helped redefine R&B within the Nineteen Nineties and early 2000s, died on Tuesday, October 14, after a protracted battle with most cancers. He was 51. His household confirmed the information, stating that the singer – born as Michael Eugene Archer – died after “a protracted and brave battle with most cancers.”

D’Angelo passes away after a protracted battle with most cancers.(X/@MissyElliott)

The assertion, shared with Variety, described him as “the shining star of our household” and requested for privateness, including that his legacy of “terribly shifting music” would stay on.

D’Angelo’s profession and legacy

Born in Richmond, Virginia, D’Angelo’s love for music started within the church, the place he performed piano alongside his father, a Pentecostal minister. By his teenagers, he was performing in native teams.

He landed his first huge break in 1993 writing U Will Know for the R&B collective Black Men United. Two years later, he launched Brown Sugar, which delivered hits like Lady and the title monitor, incomes platinum certification.

Alongside artists like Erykah Badu, Maxwell, and Lauryn Hill, D’Angelo grew to become the face of the neo-soul motion, as per Variety. He later contributed to Hill’s The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, lending his voice and keys to Nothing Even Matters.

In 2000, D’Angelo launched Voodoo, that includes Questlove, J Dilla, and members of the Soulquarians collective. The album, anchored by Untitled (How Does It Feel), earned him two Grammys (4 in complete).

Also Read: Kate Cassidy remembers the ‘final time’ she ever noticed Liam Payne earlier than tragic loss of life

The success in his profession additionally got here with strain and overexposure – main D’Angelo to step away from the highlight for almost a decade. He returned in 2014 with Black Messiah. Though he teased a fourth album in recent times, it was by no means launched.

Tributes have poured in from throughout the music world. DJ Premier, who produced Devil’s Pie, wrote, “Such a tragic loss. Gonna miss you a lot. Sleep peacefully, D’. Love you, KING.”

“Rest Peacefully D’Angelo… No guardian need to see their kids go but it surely’s painful for kids to see their mother and father go to so ship prayers up for his son who additionally misplaced his mother this yr for power,” Missy Elliott wrote on X.

D’Angelo’s household

He by no means obtained married however dated Angie Stone within the Nineteen Nineties. She died in a automobile crash in March this yr. The couple had a son in 1998. D’Angelo additionally had two extra kids – a daughter born in 1999 and a son born in 2010.

His affect continues to form the sound of recent R&B.

Also Read: Alec Baldwin reveals he and brother Stephen crashed spouse Hilaria’s automobile into tree: ‘I swerved…’

FAQs:

Who was D’Angelo?

D’Angelo was a Grammy-winning neo-soul singer and songwriter who rose to fame with Brown Sugar and Voodoo within the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s.

What occurred to D’Angelo?

His household confirmed he died of most cancers on October 14, 2025, after a protracted sickness.

What are D’Angelo’s most well-known songs?

His largest hits embrace “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” “Lady,” and “Brown Sugar.”

Did D’Angelo win any Grammy Awards?

Yes, he gained 4 Grammys, together with Best R&B Album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for Voodoo.