D’Angelo has died aged 51
D’Angelo has passed away at the age of 51. The iconic soul singer (real name Michael Archer) died on October 14th following a battle with pancreatic cancer.
TMZ reports that the singer died in New York City, according to family sources and his former manager, Kedar Massenberg.
His family released a statement following his death, asking for privacy while paying tribute to his musical career.
“The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life,” they wrote. “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.”
They continued, “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.”
DJ Premier, who collaborated with D’Angelo on ‘Devil’s Pie’, took to X (formerly Twitter) to pay tribute to the singer. “Such a sad loss to the passing of D’angelo,” he wrote. “We have so many great times. Gonna miss you so much. Sleep Peacefully D’ Love You KING.”
D’Angelo is best known for his classic neo-soul albums, Brown Sugar, released in 1995, and Voodoo, released in 2000. Voodoo debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart with 320,000 copies sold in its first week.
The R&B legend was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1974. He won four Grammy Awards, including ‘Best R&B Album’ for Voodoo and ‘Best Male R&B Vocal Performance’ for ‘Untitled (How Does It Feel)’.
D’Angelo leaves behind three children, Imani, Morocco, and Michael, whose mother, Angie Stone, died in March at 63.