Renowned Grammy-Winning R&B Icon Passes Away at 51

D’Angelo, the acclaimed R&B artist known for his distinctive raspy yet smooth vocals and famed for his unforgettable shirtless appearance in the Untitled (How Does It Feel) music video, has passed away at the age of 51.

Michael Eugene Archer, as he was originally named, died on Tuesday, according to an announcement from his family.

His family revealed that the singer had battled cancer for a long period before his passing.

Describing him as “a shining star of our family,” his relatives expressed deep gratitude for the impactful musical legacy he left behind, noting that his light has now dimmed in this life.

D’Angelo was celebrated for his unique fusion of hip-hop grit, powerful soul, and gospel-infused emotion, which was instrumental in pioneering the neo-soul movement of the 1990s.

Earlier this year, the Virginia native celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut studio album Brown Sugar, a platinum-selling offering that produced signature hits like Lady and the title track. 

The 1995 album earned him multiple Grammy nominations and cemented him as one of R&B’s most original new voices.

D’Angelo’s sultry vocal style — a mix of raspy texture and church-bred fluidity — set him apart from his peers. 

That voice became inseparable from the striking visuals of his 2000 single Untitled (How Does It Feel). 

The minimalist, shirtless music video became a cultural touchstone, igniting conversations around artistry, sexuality and vulnerability in Black male representation. 

The song earned him a Grammy for best male R&B vocal performance and propelled his sophomore album Voodoo, topping the Billboard 200 chart and winning the Grammy for best R&B album.

Beyond his own catalog, D’Angelo’s artistry shined in collaborations. He memorably duetted with Lauryn Hill on the soulful ballad Nothing Even Matters, a highlight of her landmark 1998 album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. 

He also contributed to The Roots’ 1996 album Illadelph Halflife and was part of the supergroup Black Men United, which yielded one song: U Will Know, which D’Angelo wrote and co-produced, for the film Jason’s Lyric in 1994.

D’Angelo was partnered to Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone in the ’90s. The pair met while he was finishing Brown Sugar and bonded over their similar backgrounds: Both are from the South and both grew up in the church. Stone worked on the album with D’Angelo and the pair co-wrote the song Everyday for her 1999 debut album, Black Diamond.

Stone described D’Angelo as her “musical soul mate” to The Associated Press in 1999, adding that their working relationship was “‘like milk and cereal”.

“Musically, it was magic. It’s something that I have not been able to do with any other producer or musician,” she said.

They had a son together, the artist Swayvo Twain, born Michael Archer Jr.

Stone died earlier this year in a car crash. She was 63.

D’Angelo also has a daughter, Imani Archer.