D'Angelo, Grammy-winning singer and R&B icon, dies at 51 after cancer battle

D’Angelo, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and producer whose retro R&B sound epitomized the neo-soul movement of the mid-’90s, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 51.

The singer, born Michael Eugene Archer, died on Tuesday, Oct. 14, D’Angelo’s family confirmed to USA TODAY in a statement provided by a representative for RCA Records.

“The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life,” D’Angelo’s family said. “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.”

“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,” the family added. “We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time but invite you all join us in mourning his passing while also celebrating the gift of song that he has left for the world.”

The son of a Pentecostal preacher, D’Angelo earned his big break in music when he coproduced the 1994 single “U Will Know” by supergroup Black Men United, a music collective that consisted of R&B powerhouses including Boyz II Men, Usher, Al B. Sure! R. Kelly and Lenny Kravitz, among others. The song went on to peak at No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

The Virginia-born singer parlayed this mainstream breakthrough into a solo career with his debut solo album, 1995’s “Brown Sugar.” The platinum-selling LP, which earned D’Angelo Grammy nominations for best R&B album and best male R&B vocal performance, marked the emergence of neo-soul, an experimental branch of soul music known for its fusion with genres such as funk, jazz fusion, hip-hop and rock.

D’Angelo’s second album “Voodoo,” released in 2000, cemented his status as a pop culture sex symbol. The album’s provocative third single, “Untitled (How Does It Feel),” drew controversy for its suggestive music video, which featured a nude D’Angelo singing to the sensual track.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of D’Angelo. He was a peerless visionary who effortlessly blended the classic sounds of soul, funk, gospel, R&B and jazz with a hip-hop sensibility,” RCA Records said in a statement. “D’Angelo’s songwriting, musicianship and unmistakable vocal styling has endured and will continue to inspire generations of artists to come.”

D’Angelo struggles with ‘Untitled’ sex symbol fame

Despite the success of “Untitled,” including a quartet of MTV Video Music Awards nominations, the video’s impact on D’Angelo’s image reportedly became a source of conflict for the singer, who became uncomfortable with his sultry portrayal.

“I feel really guilty, because that was never the intention,” D’Angelo’s former manager Dominique Trenier previously told Spin magazine. “‘Untitled’ wasn’t supposed to be his mission statement for ‘Voodoo.’ I’m glad the video did what it did, but he and I were both disappointed because, to this day, in the general populace’s memory, he’s the naked dude.”

D’Angelo retreated from the spotlight in later years, due in part to the singer’s personal struggles, which included a battle with alcoholism.

In his personal life, D’Angelo dated fellow R&B/soul singer Angie Stone in the 1990s, with Stone becoming the muse for the singer’s album “Brown Sugar.” D’Angelo, who welcomed a son with Stone in 1998, also contributed to Stone’s debut album, 1999’s “Black Diamond.”

D’Angelo and Stone broke up in 1999 after the singer, then 25, allegedly cheated on Stone, who was 38. The soulful crooner never married.

Aside from his son with Stone, D’Angelo had two other children: a daughter born in 1999 and a son born in 2010.

D’Angelo teased musical future with final album

D’Angelo’s final album, “Black Messiah,” was released in December 2014. The album earned the singer Grammy awards for best R&B album and best R&B song (“Really Love”).

Released 14 years after his previous album “Voodoo,” D’Angelo opened up about the album’s decade-and-a-half delay in a June 2015 interview with Rolling Stone.

“The (stuff) that happened in my personal life didn’t help, but it wasn’t just about that. There were moving parts — management changes, record-company changes,” D’Angelo told the outlet. “The music business is a crazy game, especially for somebody like me who is really a purist about the art. Trying to balance the pressures of commercialism, it’s a tightrope. It’s a fine line between sticking to your guns and insanity.”

The singer also reflected on the legacy of “Untitled (How Does it Feel)” and his change of heart on the controversial song.

“I’m at peace with it, and I feel there’s been too much made out of it,” D’Angelo reflected. “Any issues I may have had were me thinking that it wasn’t about the song — that it was all about me appearing in the nude.

“But now I think people gravitated to how sexy and beautiful the song was. It wouldn’t have raised the eyebrows it did if the song wasn’t good. The video was just a great accompaniment.”

D’Angelo, who was 41 at the time of the interview, remained optimistic about his musical future following his lengthy hiatus.

“I want to do what Yahweh (God) is leading me to do. Do I know fully what that is? No, I don’t,” D’Angelo said. “I’m trying to keep myself open, my heart open, to receive and to know what that is. But I do want to put a lot of music out there. I feel like, in a lot of respects, that I’m just getting started.”