Tributes have flooded in for the R&B and soul singer D’Angelo, who has died aged 51 after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.
In a statement, his family wrote that the star, whose real name was Michael Eugene Archer, left behind a legacy of extraordinarily moving music and asked fans to celebrate “the gift of song that he has left for the world.
The influential singer was known for pioneering neo-soul, a genre blending R&B with other types of music, including hip-hop and jazz. His three albums won four Grammy Awards. The music video for his hit song Untitled (How Does It Feel) became notorious for its smouldering, single-shot performance, where D’Angelo appeared to be performing naked.
The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life, his family said in a statement obtained by CBS News, the BBC’s US media partner.
Fellow musicians Beyoncé, Nile Rogers and Lauryn Hill were among those paying their respects.
Singer Beyoncé thanked D’Angelo for his music on her website. You were the pioneer of neo-soul, and that changed and transformed rhythm and blues forever, she wrote. We will never forget you.
Writing about his first meeting with D'Angelo, guitarist and producer Rogers recalled having encouraged the late star - who was then on the way up - to put out his material as it was perfect.
About a year later I heard one of those songs on the radio. It was genius and it was exactly what he had played for me, wrote Rogers. I know... I still have the original cassette.
Singer and rapper Hill, who worked with D'Angelo at the start of his career, shared a similarly lengthy and personal reflection, saying his beauty and talent were not of this world.
You imaged a unity of strength and sensitivity in Black manhood to a generation that only saw itself as having to be one or the other, she wrote.
Fellow rappers Doja Cat and Missy Elliot also paid their respects, as well as singers Jill Scott and Jennifer Hudson. A true voice of soul and inspiration to many brilliant artists of our generation and generations to come, Doja Cat wrote on X.
Rest Peacefully D'Angelo, posted Elliot, who was becoming one of hip-hop's biggest around the same time as the soul singer's rise in the late 1990s.
Scott posted: I never met D'Angelo but I love him, respect him, admire his gift.
Hudson noted how we lost a true original today. D'Angelo, your voice will live on forever. Rest well, King!!!
Tyler the Creator said his musical DNA was shaped by D'Angelo - We are so lucky to have been alive to enjoy his art, he wrote.
D’Angelo began his career as a songwriter, and worked alongside big names in music like Lauryn Hill and The Roots. He rose to fame in the 1990s with his debut album Brown Sugar, which included the hit single Lady, reaching the number 10 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 1996. His 2000 album Voodoo cemented his status, earning multiple Grammy awards. However, he faced personal struggles with alcoholism and nearly lost his life in a car crash in 2005. He made a remarkable comeback in 2014 with his album Black Messiah, reflecting his journey and the national unrest of the time.
His latest work was a collaboration with Raphael Saadiq. D'Angelo’s contributions to modern music and his enduring legacy are celebrated by fans and artists alike, making his loss profoundly felt across the music community.
In a statement, his family wrote that the star, whose real name was Michael Eugene Archer, left behind a legacy of extraordinarily moving music and asked fans to celebrate “the gift of song that he has left for the world.
The influential singer was known for pioneering neo-soul, a genre blending R&B with other types of music, including hip-hop and jazz. His three albums won four Grammy Awards. The music video for his hit song Untitled (How Does It Feel) became notorious for its smouldering, single-shot performance, where D’Angelo appeared to be performing naked.
The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life, his family said in a statement obtained by CBS News, the BBC’s US media partner.
Fellow musicians Beyoncé, Nile Rogers and Lauryn Hill were among those paying their respects.
Singer Beyoncé thanked D’Angelo for his music on her website. You were the pioneer of neo-soul, and that changed and transformed rhythm and blues forever, she wrote. We will never forget you.
Writing about his first meeting with D'Angelo, guitarist and producer Rogers recalled having encouraged the late star - who was then on the way up - to put out his material as it was perfect.
About a year later I heard one of those songs on the radio. It was genius and it was exactly what he had played for me, wrote Rogers. I know... I still have the original cassette.
Singer and rapper Hill, who worked with D'Angelo at the start of his career, shared a similarly lengthy and personal reflection, saying his beauty and talent were not of this world.
You imaged a unity of strength and sensitivity in Black manhood to a generation that only saw itself as having to be one or the other, she wrote.
Fellow rappers Doja Cat and Missy Elliot also paid their respects, as well as singers Jill Scott and Jennifer Hudson. A true voice of soul and inspiration to many brilliant artists of our generation and generations to come, Doja Cat wrote on X.
Rest Peacefully D'Angelo, posted Elliot, who was becoming one of hip-hop's biggest around the same time as the soul singer's rise in the late 1990s.
Scott posted: I never met D'Angelo but I love him, respect him, admire his gift.
Hudson noted how we lost a true original today. D'Angelo, your voice will live on forever. Rest well, King!!!
Tyler the Creator said his musical DNA was shaped by D'Angelo - We are so lucky to have been alive to enjoy his art, he wrote.
D’Angelo began his career as a songwriter, and worked alongside big names in music like Lauryn Hill and The Roots. He rose to fame in the 1990s with his debut album Brown Sugar, which included the hit single Lady, reaching the number 10 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 1996. His 2000 album Voodoo cemented his status, earning multiple Grammy awards. However, he faced personal struggles with alcoholism and nearly lost his life in a car crash in 2005. He made a remarkable comeback in 2014 with his album Black Messiah, reflecting his journey and the national unrest of the time.
His latest work was a collaboration with Raphael Saadiq. D'Angelo’s contributions to modern music and his enduring legacy are celebrated by fans and artists alike, making his loss profoundly felt across the music community.
