D’Angelo has died at the age of 51.
The Brown Sugar singer – whose real name was Michael Eugene Archer – passed away on Tuesday (14.10.25) following a battle with cancer, his devastated family have confirmed.
They said in a statement to Variety: “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.
“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.”
Sources told TMZ the Grammy-award winning star had been quietly battling pancreatic cancer.
During his career, D’Angelo was credited for helping bring in the era of neo-soul and released three albums, 1995’s Brown Sugar, 2000’s Voodoo and his final record, 2014’s Black Messiah with The Vanguard.
The signed to EMI in 1993 and wrote the hit song U Will Know for Black Men United (B.M.U.) before releasing his own debut record in July 1995 and paving the way for the likes of Maxwell and Erykah Badu.
D’Angelo – who also appeared on Lauryn Hill’s acclaimed 1998 record The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – spent much of his career working with Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson of The Roots, including on his pivotal second album.
Despite the huge success of the record, D’Angelo retreated from the spotlight for almost a decade, largely because he was uncomfortable at being portrayed as a sex symbol thanks to the shirtless video he filmed for the ballad Untitled (How Does It Feel).
He made a return in the early 2010s, touring Europe and performing occasionally with Questlove. He debuted new material during the live shows, which were featured on his final album in 2014.
D’Angelo won the Best R+B Album Grammy Award twice, for both Voodoo and Black Messiah, and also Best R+B Song for Really Love in 2016 and Best Male R+B Vocal Performance for Untitle d(How Does It Feel).
The singer is survived by two sons and a daughter.
