Soul legend and “Brown Sugar” hitmaker D’Angelo has died. He was 51.
On Tuesday, Oct. 14, TMZ reported that D’Angelo (born Michael Eugene Archer) confirmed news of his death after a private battle with pancreatic cancer.
DJ Premier, who collaborated with him on the 1998 track “Devil’s Pie,” shared a post via X on Oct. 14 confirming the news.”Such a sad loss to the passing of D’angelo. We have so many great times. Gonna miss you so much. Sleep Peacefully D’ Love You KING,” he wrote.
The Richmond-born son of a Pentecostal minister began playing the piano at the age of 3 and by 5 years old, he was playing the instrument with his father at church. A few years later, he began playing the piano at his grandfather’s Pentecostal church. Growing up, he and his two cousins formed the group Three of a Kind and began performing at local talent shows. By 16, he formed another band called Michael Archer and Precise with his brother, Luther.
That year, D’Angelo landed a slot during Amateur Night at the Apollo, where he sang “Feel the Fire” by Peabo Bryson. While he didn’t win at the time, he returned to the stage the following year to perform “Rub You the Right Way” by Johnny Gill in 1991 and took the first place.
With his monetary prize, he returned to Richmond, bought a four-track recorder and started writing what would become most of the songs that made up his 1995 debut album Brown Sugar. He landed a record deal two years later. Brown Sugar peaked at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B Albums chart went platinum within a year of its release. It also earned D’Angleo four Grammy Award nominations.
In 2000, D’Angelo released his sophomore album Voodoo, which peaked at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. The album also won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album and his song “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” received Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, along with a nomination for Best R&B Song.
