Neo-soul icon and four-time Grammy winner D'Angelo has passed away at the age of 51 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
The family of D'Angelo (real name Michael Eugene Archer) issued a statement Tuesday morning (October 14) confirming his death, writing, “The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life…After a prolonged and courageous battle with cancer, we are heartbroken to announce that Michael D’Angelo Archer, known to his fans around the world as D’Angelo, has been called home, departing this life today, October 14th, 2025."
"We are saddened that he can only leave dear memories with his family, but we are eternally grateful for the legacy of extraordinarily moving music he leaves behind," it continued. "We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time but invite you all join us in mourning his passing while also celebrating the gift of song that he has left for the world.”
Born in South Richmond, Virginia on February 11, 1974, D'Angelo got his big break in 1995 with the release of his debut album, Brown Sugar, which received four Grammy nominations and spent 65 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart.
Alongside Erykah Badu, Maxwell, Angie Stone and Jill Scott, he became one of the leaders of the neo-soul movement that emerged in the mid-’90s, which revolutionized the genre by combining soul, R&B, jazz, hip-hop and funk.
It would take him years to record his sophomore album, but in 2000 he released Voodoo, which topped the Billboard 200 in February and earn him Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Untitled (How Does It Feel)."
Following this success, D'Angelo stepped out of the spotlight due to his discomfort with becoming a sex symbol following the popularity of his video for "Untitled (How Does It Feel)," in which he appeared mostly naked. He was arrested multiple times over the years for DUI, drug possession and solicitation of prostitution, rarely making public appearances aside for the odd guest vocal on records by J Dilla, Snoop Dogg, Common and Q-Tip.
His third and final album, Black Messiah (credited to D'Angelo and the Vanguard), arrived in 2014, marking a triumphant comeback that included a world tour and two more Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album and Best R&B Song for "Really Love."
In 2015, he told Rolling Stone he was working on a new album that was a companion to Black Messiah, however, it never surfaced. The last recording to feature D'Angelo was a collaboration with Jay-Z and Jeymes Samuel on the song "I Want You Forever" from the soundtrack to the film The Book of Clarence.
D'Angelo is survived by his three children.