R&B legend and neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo dies at 51
Grammy-winning R&B legend D’Angelo – one of the pioneers of neo-soul – has died aged 51 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
In a statement shared with Variety, his family confirmed the singer and guitarist – real name Michael Eugene Archer – died on Tuesday morning (14 October) at his home in New York.
“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,” the statement reads.
“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. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time but invite you all to join us in mourning his passing while also celebrating the gift of song that he has left for the world.”
Releasing three albums over the course of his career, D’Angelo was a pioneer of the neo-soul R&B subgenre, which blends classic soul with influences from the likes of jazz and hip-hop, often flavouring R&B with more live instrumentation.
Releasing Brown Sugar and Voodoo in 1995 and 2000, respectively, D’Angelo subsequently spent over a decade out of the public eye, before returning with the critically acclaimed Black Messiah in 2014, which featured hits like Really Love and Sugah Daddy.
D’Angelo earned Best R&B Album Grammy wins for both Voodoo and Black Messiah.
Born in Richmond, Virginia, 1974, the son of a Pentecostal minister, D’Angelo taught himself to play piano aged only three. Through his adolescent years, he performed in groups locally, and won an amateur talent competition at Harlem’s Apollo Theater for three consecutive weeks, drawing the attention of EMI executives, who quickly signed him to a publishing deal.
His debut album Brown Sugar was a commercial and critical success, and helped him go on to collaborate with legends including Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Q-Tip.
After over a decade out of the public eye after 2000’s Voodoo, D’Angelo returned to music in 2014 with Black Messiah, an album in the works for years, but finished after witnessing the national unrest spurred by protests over the deaths of unarmed Black men Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
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