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Michael Eugene Archer, the R&B artist celebrated as D’Angelo, has died at the age of 51 after a battle with cancer, his family has announced.
In a statement released Tuesday, the family conveyed that the singer leaves behind a “legacy of extraordinarily moving music,” encouraging fans to honor “the gift of song that he has left for the world.”
D’Angelo was a highly influential figure, recognized for his pioneering role in neo-soul, a genre that masterfully fuses R&B with elements of hip-hop, jazz, and other musical styles.
Throughout his career, he garnered four Grammy Awards for his three studio albums. His music video for the hit single, “Untitled (How Does it Feel),” became a cultural touchstone, featuring the artist performing the song nude in a single, uninterrupted shot.
“The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life,” his family stated, as reported by CBS News, the BBC’s US news partner.
D’Angelo’s career began in songwriting, collaborating with prominent artists such as Lauryn Hill and The Roots.
He achieved widespread recognition in the 1990s with his debut album, “Brown Sugar.” The track “Lady” from the album peaked at No. 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 1996.
This success earned him multiple Grammy nominations and solidified his prominent position within the music industry.
Born in Richmond, Virginia, D’Angelo, the son of a Pentecostal minister, demonstrated an early aptitude for music, teaching himself to play the piano at age three.
During his formative years, he performed locally as part of various groups, including Three of a Kind, Michael Archer and Precise, and Intelligent, Deadly but Unique (I.D.U.).
At the age of 18, he won the amateur talent competition at Harlem’s Apollo Theater for three consecutive weeks, subsequently securing 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 behind the wheel 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 were 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.”
2020’s Voodoo album topped the US charts and in their most recent list of the greatest albums of all time, Rolling Stone magazine placed it at 28 – one place above The Beatles’ White Album.
He had been working in the studio on what would have been his fourth album with Raphael Saadiq. Tributes have started to come in with hip hop star Tyler the Creator posting a black and white photo and Flavor Flav from Public Enemy calling him an icon.
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Chloe Marie Aston is left stranded after her van is stolen while she performs on her piano bike.
“I had a gut reaction when I first held it that it was genuine,” says Dr Paul Wingfield.
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