‘The shining star of our family’: R&B singer D’Angelo dies at 51 | News of deaths

Grammy Award-winning R&B singer D’Angelo has died at the age of 51, after a “long and courageous battle with cancer,” according to a statement from his family.

On Tuesday, his loved ones issued a statement announcing his death. The letter read: “The bright star of our family has extinguished its light for us in this life.”

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“We are saddened that he can only leave behind cherished memories with his family, but we are forever grateful for the legacy of extraordinarily poignant music he left behind,” he added.

D’Angelo, whose real name is Michael Eugene Archer, became known for his smooth songs during the 1990s and 2000s, with his record Voodoo earning him a 2001 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.

His hit song from that album, Untitled (How Does It Feel), not only won him another Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, but also catapulted him into the mainstream spotlight with its steamy music video, featuring a shirtless D’Angelo singing live into the camera.

Music magazine Rolling Stone named Voodoo one of her best albums of all time.

News of his death sparked an outpouring of memories among fans, including fellow musicians.

“I never met D’Angelo but I love him, respect him and admire his talent. This loss hurts!!” Singer-songwriter Jill Scott wrote on the social media platform X, adding: “Rest in peace, genius.”

Another musician, rapper Doja Cat, offered his condolences to D’Angelo’s loved ones. She described him as “the true voice of the soul and inspiration for many brilliant artists of our generation and generations to come.”

In his music, D’Angelo blended hip-hop, emphatic soul, and gospel-rooted emotion into a sound that helped lead the neo-soul movement of the 1990s.

Earlier this year, the Virginia native celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut studio album Brown Sugar, a platinum-selling offering that spawned iconic hits like Lady.

This 1995 album earned him several Grammy nominations and cemented him as one of the most exciting new voices in R&B.

D’Angelo’s evocative vocal style—a combination of raspy texture and church-bred fluidity—sets him apart from his peers. This sound has become inseparable from the stunning visuals of the untitled music video (How Do You Feel).

Her minimalist aesthetic became a cultural touchstone, igniting conversations about art, gender, and the underrepresentation of black males.

In addition to his catalog, D’Angelo’s artistry shines in collaborations. He memorably dueted with Lauryn Hill on the emotional ballad “Nothing That Even Matters,” one of the highlights of her landmark 1998 album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

He also contributed to The Roots’ 1996 album Illadelph Halflife and was part of the supergroup Black Men United, which produced one song, U Will Know, for the film Jason’s Lyric in 1994. D’Angelo wrote and co-produced the single.

D’Angelo was in a four-year relationship with Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone in the 1990s.

The duo met while finishing the Brown Sugar album and bonded over their similar backgrounds: both were from the South and both grew up in the church. Stone worked on the album with D’Angelo, and the duo co-wrote the song “Everyday” for her 1999 debut album, Black Diamond.

Stone described D’Angelo as her “musical soulmate” in an interview with The Associated Press in 1999, adding that their working relationship was “like milk and cereal.”

“Musically, it was magic,” Stone said. “It’s something I haven’t been able to do with any other producer or musician.”

They had a son together, artist Swaypho Twin, born Michael Archer Jr., and Stone died earlier this year in a car accident. She was 63 years old.

D’Angelo also has a daughter named Imani Archer.

Among the tributes to D’Angelo’s art on Tuesday was a social media post from Tyler, the Creator, who remembers combing through his local music store on his ninth birthday.

“I had $20 in birthday money and my eye on leaving with one thing. VOODOO by D’Angelo,” Tyler, the creator, wrote on Instagram. “I had no idea that would help shape my musical DNA.”

He continued: “I couldn’t understand how someone could write something so simple yet personal yet so vast yet genius.” “That’s how special he was.”