D’Angelo, R&B Grammy-award winning singer, dies aged 51(BBC) Award-winning R&B and soul singer D’Angelo has died aged 51 after a cancer diagnosis, his family has said.
In a statement, they 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 D’Angelo 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.
Tributes have flooded in, with rappers Doja Cat and Missy Elliot, as well as singers Jill Scott and Jennifer Hudson paying their respects.
“A true voice of soul and inspiration to many brilliant artists of our generation and generations to come,” Doja Cat wrote on X.
Jennifer Hudson said “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. His song, Lady, from that album reached the number 10 spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 1996.
That song earned him multiple Grammy nominations and secured his spot on the music scene.
The son of a Pentecostal minister, D’Angelo was born in Richmond, Virginia, and taught himself to play piano when he was just three years old.
Source: BBC