D’Angelo Dead of Pancreatic Cancer at 51

D’Angelo, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter who helped kickstart the movement that would become known as neo-soul, has died at age 51. The news of his passing was confirmed by both family members and his management. Born Michael Archer, D’Angelo’s death comes as a shock to the general public, as the star had not publicly disclosed that he’d been suffering from pancreatic cancer. 

The singer’s family confirmed his death in a statement to Variety. 

“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, Oct. 14, 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 in South Richmond, VA., D’Angelo honed his musical talents playing in his minister father’s Pentecostal church. He formed some short-lived R&B groups before he landed a deal in 1993, signing with EMI and penning the track “U Will Know” for the R&B all-star project Black Men United (B.M.U.) 

In 1995, he released his debut album, Brown Sugar, to commercial success and widespread critical acclaim. The album is credited with helping to usher in the “neosoul” movement, a sound informed by a wave of singer-songwriters who embraced the classic ’70s soul aesthetics of artists like Stevie Wonder and Roy Ayers, while marrying them to a hip-hop sensibility born of acts like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul.

Five years later, he reinvented his sound and image with the expansive Voodoo, another critical win and landmark album in contemporary R&B/soul. He would also become a part of the famed Soulquarians collective alongside fellow acts like Erykah Badu, Bilal, Questlove, J Dilla, Roy Hargrove, James Poyser, Raphael Saadiq, Q-Tip and Common.

It would be almost a decade and a half before D’Angelo released his third and final studio album during his life, Black Messiah. Released as an album from D’Angelo and The Vanguard, the album took home the Grammy for Best R&B Album at the 58th Grammy Awards in 2016. 

As an artist, D’Angelo was famously known for meticulousness, and his tendency to shun the spotlight and shroud his releases in mystery only added to his intrigue. He was fiercely private when it came to his personal life, but he spoke openly about his battles with depression and addiction. He shared a son with late soul singer Angie Stone, who herself passed away in March 2025 after a car crash in Alabama.