D’Angelo, the Grammy-winning pioneer of neo soul, has died at the age of 51.
The artist died on Tuesday morning (October 14) at his home in New York following a private battle with pancreatic cancer, his family confirmed to Variety.
In a statement, his family said: “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 [to] join us in mourning his passing while also celebrating the gift of song that he has left for the world.”
Born Michael Eugene Archer, the artist signed with EMI Music in 1993 after impressing at an audition organised by intermediaries. His first notable success came in 1994 with the release of the Black Men United single ‘U Will Know’, which Archer co-wrote for R&B supergroup.
His debut album, Brown Sugar, arrived in 1995, and though it wasn’t an instant hit, it achieved platinum status within six months of its release in the US, thanks to the success of singles ‘Lady’, ‘Brown Sugar’ and ‘Cruisin”.
Following two years of touring in support of Brown Sugar, Archer stepped back from the music industry for a period, and later revealed that he experienced intense writer’s block during this time. He did release several cover versions in the following years though, of songs by Prince, Erykah Badu and others, while he also collaborated with Lauryn Hill on ‘Nothing Even Matters’ for the latter’s 1998 debut solo album, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill.
Archer’s second album, Voodoo, followed in 2000, and was co-produced by himself, DJ Premier and Raphael Saadiq. The LP was released to rave reviews from music critics, and has gone on to be considered a classic of the R&B and neo soul genres. It won the Best R&B Album awards at the 2001 Grammys, and featured the hit single ‘Untitled (How Does It Make You Feel)’. The infamous music video for the song helped build an image of him as a sex icon, something that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with and led to him taking a hiatus from the music scene when he finished touring Voodoo.
After developing a drinking problem in 2001, Archer later parted ways with manager Dominique Trenier and tour manager Alan Leeds, and became estranged from his family. He also left his record label, Virgin Records, in 2005, and developed issues with drugs before ultimately checking himself into a rehab clinic that same year.
During the latter part of the ’00s, Archer appeared on tracks by the likes of J Dilla, Snoop Dogg, Common and Q-Tip, but his own solo work experienced several delays. He returned to performing live with a 2012 European tour, which saw him play a selection of hits from his two previous albums, in addition to songs from his upcoming album, which was close to completion.
Archer surprise-released his third studio album, Black Messiah, in December 2014. It was met with high acclaim from music critics and fans, and was supported with a tour called The Second Coming. It saw him play 57 shows across Europe, Asia and North America through 2015. The record also won a Best R&B Album Grammy, while album cut ‘Really Love’ won Best R&B Song. The full LP was nominated for Record of the Year too.
In the years that followed, Archer periodically confirmed that he was working on further new music. He contributed to the soundtrack for the 2018 video game Red Dead Redemption 2, singing on the song ‘Unshaken’ by Daniel Lanois. He was also invited to be a playtester for the game itself due to his love for the Red Dead Redemption franchise.
Archer’s last full live performance took place at New York’s Apollo Theater in February 2021, though he made a number of other live appearances in the years that followed. Last year, he featured alongside Jay-Z on the song ‘I Want You Forever’ for the soundtrack to the film The Book Of Clarence.
Last year, Raphael Saadiq told Rolling Stone‘s Music Now podcast that Archer was working on a new album, saying: “He’s working on six pieces right now and he seems super excited.”
Archer is is survived by three children. The mother of his eldest son, soul singer Angie Stone, died earlier this year in a car crash at the age of 63.
Paying tribute to Archer, Bootsy Collins wrote on X: “Say it ain’t so, but we just lost a friend, a creator and legend, D’Angelo.”
DJ Premier wrote: “We had so many great times. Gonna miss you so much. Sleep peacefully D’. Love you KING.”
