R&B, soul icon D'Angelo dies at 51 after battling cancer

Neo-soul legend and "Brown Sugar" hitmaker D'Angelo has died after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was 51. D'Angelo (born Michael Eugene Archer) had died in New York City on Tuesday, October. 14.

Soul icon D'Angelo passed away after a private battle with pancreatic cancer

"He was in hospice for two weeks but had been in the hospital for months," a source revealed to media. "Such a sad loss to the passing of D'angelo. We have so many great times. Gonna miss you so much. Sleep Peacefully D' Love You KING," DJ Premier wrote about D'Angelo's tragic passing.

D’Angelo released just three albums throughout his career, his 1995 debut “Brown Sugar,” 2000’s “Voodoo” and his 2014 album “Black Messiah.”

D'Angelo was bown in Richmond and began playing the piano at the age of 3, and by 5 years old D'Angelo was playing the instrument with his father at church. A few years later, he began playing the piano at his grandfather's Pentecostal church. D'Angelo his two cousins formed the group Three of a Kind and began performing at local talent shows.

By 16, he formed another band called Michael Archer and Precise with his brother, Luther. That year, D'Angelo landed a slot during Amateur Night at the Apollo, where he sang “Feel the Fire” by Peabo Bryson. While he didn't win at the time, he returned to the stage the following year to perform "Rub You the Right Way" by Johnny Gill in 1991 and took the first place.

With his prize, he returned to Richmond, bought a four-track recorder and started writing what would become most of the songs that made up his 1995 debut album Brown Sugar.

Brown Sugar peaked at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B Albums chart went platinum within a year of its release. It also earned D'Angelo four Grammy Award nominations. His third studio album, the acclaimed Black Messiah peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's U.S. Indie Store Album Sales and U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. It also won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album and is considered a modern neo-soul masterpiece.

Throughout his career, D'Angelo collaborated with artists including Questlove, Common, Q-Tip, J Dilla, Lauryn Hill, Raphael Saadiq and Angie Stone. In 2024, D'Angelo collaborated alongside Jay-Z on the track "I Want You Forever," which was featured on The Book of Clarence soundtrack.

He is survived by his older son Michael Archer II, a daughter, Imani and his youngest, son Morocco.

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