D’Angelo, the Grammy Award-winning R&B singer and neo-soul pioneer, has died at age 51 after a battle with cancer, his family confirmed on Tuesday. His passing marks the loss of an influential artist whose music blended soul, jazz, and hip-hop, earning him critical acclaim and a lasting legacy.
The news was announced through a family statement provided to outlets like BBC and CNN, describing his death as following “a prolonged and courageous battle with cancer.” They remembered him as “the shining star of our family” and expressed gratitude for his “legacy of extraordinarily moving music,” while asking for privacy during this difficult time.
Born Michael Eugene Archer in Richmond, Virginia, D’Angelo was the son of a Pentecostal minister and displayed musical talent from a young age, teaching himself piano by three years old. He performed in local groups and won the amateur competition at Harlem’s Apollo Theater three times at 18, leading to his first publishing deal and setting the stage for his career.
His breakthrough came with the 1995 debut album “Brown Sugar,” which defined the neo-soul genre and went platinum. The single “Lady” reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot 100, earning Grammy nominations and establishing him as a rising star in the music industry.
The 2000 album “Voodoo” solidified his status, topping charts and winning two Grammy Awards. However, the music video for “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” became iconic for its sensual, single-shot performance of a seemingly nude D’Angelo, which brought him superstardom but also led to discomfort with being labeled a sex symbol.
After “Voodoo,” D’Angelo took a long hiatus, during which he struggled with alcoholism and survived a near-fatal car crash in 2005. He returned in 2014 with “Black Messiah,” an album inspired by social justice movements, which won the Grammy for Best R&B Album in 2016 and showcased his continued relevance.
In recent months, health issues surfaced when he canceled a performance at the 2025 Roots Picnic due to medical delays from surgery. He was a father to a son from his relationship with singer Angie Stone, who died in a traffic accident in March 2025, adding to his personal challenges.
Tributes from artists like Doja Cat, Missy Elliot, and Jennifer Hudson flooded social media, praising his influence and originality. His record company RCA hailed him as a “peerless visionary,” and his work on an unfinished fourth album with Raphael Saadiq leaves a void in the music world, but his innovative contributions to R&B and soul will endure.