Grammy-winning R&B and soul artist D’Angelo has passed away at the age of 51 after a private battle with pancreatic cancer, sources close to his family and former manager Kedar Massenberg confirmed, reports Baltimore Chronicle with reference to TMZ. The “Brown Sugar” singer-songwriter had been undergoing treatment for several months, though he kept his illness largely out of the public eye.
D’Angelo emerged as a defining talent in the mid-1990s with his debut album, Brown Sugar, and went on to collaborate with music icons such as Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, and Q-Tip. Over the course of his career, he earned four Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Album for Voodoo in 2001 and Black Messiah in 2016, as well as Best R&B Song in 2016 for Really Love and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for Untitled (How Does It Feel).
His 2000 hit Untitled (How Does It Feel) left an enduring mark on music culture, particularly for its iconic video featuring D’Angelo alone against a black backdrop, creating a powerful and unforgettable visual statement.
In 2024, Raphael Saadiq revealed on the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast that D’Angelo was preparing new music, stating, “He’s excited … He’s working on six pieces right now and he seems super excited,” signaling that fans could expect a fresh project from the legendary singer.
D’Angelo is survived by three children, including two sons and a daughter. The mother of his first son was singer Angie Stone, who tragically passed away earlier this year in a car accident.
Earlier we wrote that Diane Keaton dies at 79: remembering the Oscar-winning star who redefined Hollywood style.
