D'Angelo: Neo-Soul Pioneer Behind Brown Sugar and Voodoo Dies at 51

D'Angelo was an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, widely regarded as a pioneer of neo-soul. Born Michael Eugene Archer on February 11, 1974, in Richmond, Virginia, he showed prodigious piano talent as a child.

His debut album, Brown Sugar (1995), went platinum and is credited with launching the neo-soul movement. His second album, Voodoo (2000), debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and won the Grammy for Best R&B Album, and "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" won Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. After a 14-year gap he released Black Messiah (2014), which won another Grammy for Best R&B Album.

D'Angelo struggled with addiction and depression, which led to long gaps in his output, and he avoided publicity for years. He had a son with singer Angie Stone and two other children. He was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2025. He died in New York City on October 14, 2025, at age 51, of pancreatic cancer.

Achievements: Brown Sugar (1995), Voodoo (2000) with Grammy for Best R&B Album, Black Messiah (2014) with Grammy for Best R&B Album.

Birth: February 11, 1974 - Richmond, Virginia.

Profession: Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.

Interesting Facts: He won three consecutive Amateur Night contests at Harlem's Apollo Theater in 1991. He contributed the song "Unshaken" to the video game Red Dead Redemption 2.