Source: Michael Hurcomb / Getty
has confirmed his cause of death as pancreatic cancer.
Born Michael Eugene Archer in South Richmond, Virginia, his musical talents were visible at the age of three when his older brother caught him playing the piano. Then, D’Angelo’s star first began to rise in the 1990s with the release of his debut album, Brown Sugar, ushering in the era of Neo-Soul music, an offshoot of traditional R&B, alongside other artists such as Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell. The late artist
Angie Stone was also a pioneer in the genre and shares a child with D’Angelo, and she also served as the inspiration behind
Brown Sugar.
Brown Sugar‘s popularity was built on the back of his sultry singles, including the classic bop “Brown Sugar,” as well as “Cruisin’,” and “Lady.”
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After a tour in support of the album, he chose to fall into obscurity, only to reemerge at the turn of the century after overcoming writer’s block. After five years in the background, he returned with 2000’s
Voodoo, which was met with critical success for its smooth, funky sound, a welcome departure from his debut work.
He rode most high on the album’s third single, “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” with the album being produced mostly by himself and
Raphael Saadiq.
Despite the success of the second project, D’Angelo was tired of the sex symbol status that came with his chosen style of music and once again decided to disappear from the public eye and return to his native Richmond, Virginia.
After a series of starts and stops, for the follow-up album over the course of more than a decade and some personal struggles, he’d return in 2014 to much fanfare with
Black Messiah.
In true D’Angelo fashion, he kept to himself following
Black Messiah, but did pop out to headline a Verzuz in 2021, where he performed a solo set. Then
, in 2024, he appeared on the soundtrack to The Book of Clarence, featuring a song alongside Jay-Z.
The four-time Grammy winner
was also scheduled to headline the Roots Picnic back in May but pulled out a week prior due to an “unforeseen medical delay regarding surgery [he] had earlier this year.”
See how social media is both mourning his death and celebrating his musical gift below.
