D’Angelo dead at 51 - cause of soul singer’s death confirmed

It’s been a particularly sad year for soul music and its sub-genre, neo soul. One of the forefathers of modern R&B/Neo soul/Nu soul, D’Angelo passed away on Monday, aged just 51.

Earlier this year, another R&B legend Angie Stone, who was briefly in a relationship with D’Angelo, left us - the victim of a car crash.

A spokesperson confirmed D’Angelo’s death on Tuesday. The singer-songwriter passed away at a New York City hospital on Monday after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer.

A statement read: “This is a monumental loss, not only for his family and loved ones but for the millions around the world who were touched by his revolutionary artistry. D’Angelo was a genius, a force of nature whose music shifted the landscape of soul and R&B. More importantly, he was a cherished son, brother, and friend whose absence leaves an immeasurable void.”

Born Michael Eugene Archer on February 11, 1974 in Richmond, Virginia, D’Angelo’s musical talents were evident from an early age, he was a highly proficient keyboard and guitar player since his teens.

Debut album ‘Brown Sugar’ goes platinum

His debut album Brown Sugar was released in July 1995 - just weeks after the the album’s lead single hit stores. It peaked at number four in the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and would spend almost an entire year in the ranking. Brown Sugar went platinum, selling 1.5-2 million physical copies and both the album and it’s title song were nominated for a Grammy.

D’Angelo struggled to write a follow- up. It arrived five years later with the release of Voodoo in 2000, which was lauded as another masterpiece by critics. Four singles were released from the album - the most successful being Untitled (How Does It Feel), which hit number 25 on the Hot 100 Singles and at number two on the R&B Singles chart.

D’Angelo’s final appearance on stage

There were collaborations with other artists such as Roy Hargrove, Erykah Badu and Raphael Saadiq but a third album, Black Messiah, only materialized in 2014 and D’Angelo disappeared from public view for several years.

Live performances was also few and far between. He took to the stage at the iconic Hollywood Bowl at the D’Angelo at Netflix Is A Joke Fest on April 30 2022, performing a five-song set including a cover of Sly Stone’s Babies Makin’ Babies. It would be his final performance.

At the time of his death, D’Angelo had been working on an album with Raphael Saadiq. The album will be released posthumously.

D’Angelo, who never married, leaves three children - Michael Archer Jr. froim his relationship with Angie Stone, a daughter, born in 1999, and a son, born in 2010.

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