D’Angelo, Grammy-winning R&B singer who became an icon with ‘Untitled (How Does It Feel),’ dies

los angeles — D’Angelo, Grammy Award-winning RThe B&B singer known for his raspy, smooth voice and garnering mainstream attention with his shirtless “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” music video has died. He was 51 years old.

The singer, whose real name was Michael Eugene Archer, died on Tuesday, according to a statement from the family.

The singer’s family confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that he died after a struggle with cancer. His family described him as “the shining star of our family and his light for us in this life dimmed.”

In his music, D’Angelo blended hip-hop, emphatic soul, and gospel-rooted emotion into a sound that helped lead the neo-soul movement of the 1990s. Earlier this year, the Virginia native celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut studio album “Brown Sugar,” a platinum-selling debut that spawned standout hits like “Lady” and the title track. The 1995 album earned him several Grammy nominations and cemented him as an R.A.E&B The most authentic new sounds.

D’Angelo’s evocative vocal style—a combination of raspy texture and church-bred fluidity—sets him apart from his peers. That sound became inseparable from the stunning visuals of his 2000 single “Untitled (How It Feels).” The simple, shirtless music video became a cultural touchstone, igniting conversations about art, gender, and the underrepresentation of black males. The song earned him a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B vocal performance and led to his second album “Voodoo”. topping the Billboard 200 chart and winning a Grammy Award for Best R&B album.

In addition to his own catalog, D’Angelo’s art shines in collaborations. He memorably dueted with Lauryn Hill on the emotional ballad “Nothing Even Matters,” a standout from her acclaimed 1998 album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” He also contributed to The Roots’ 1996 album “Illadelf Halflife” and was part of the supergroup Black Men United, which produced one song: “U Will Know,” which D’Angelo wrote and co-produced for the 1994 film “Jason’s Lyric.”

D’Angelo was a partner of the Grammy-nominated RB&B singer Angie Stone in the 90s. The couple met while he was finishing “Brown Sugar” and bonded over their similar backgrounds: both were from the South and both had grown up in the church. Stone worked on the album with D’Angelo and the duo co-wrote the song “Everyday” for her 1999 debut album, “Black Diamond.”

Stone described D’Angelo as her “musical soulmate” to the Associated Press in 1999, adding that their working relationship was “like milk and cereal….Musically, it was magical. It’s something I’ve never been able to do with any other producer or musician.”

They had a son together, artist Swaypho Twin, who was born Michael Archer Jr.

Stone died earlier this year in a car accident. She was 63 years old.

D’Angelo also has a daughter named Imani Archer.

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