D’Angelo dead at 51

Very sad news: groundbreaking R&B artist D’Angelo has died at age 51. The New York Times broke the story, confirming the news with his family who said the cause was a “prolonged and courageous battle” with cancer.

Born Michael Eugene Archer in 1974, D’Angelo grew up in Richmond the son of a Pentecostal preacher. He was musically gifted from a very early age, and according to lore could play piano at age three. After a successful appearance at Amateur Night at The Apollo in 1991, he dropped out of school and moved to NYC at 18 and was soon signed to the major label EMI.

Having released only three classic albums between 1995 and present day, D’Angelo was never the most prolific artist but he was one of the most impactful of the past few generations. 1995’s Brown Sugar and 2000’s Voodoo helped shape neo-soul as we know it, and 2014’s Black Messiah was rightfully hailed as a remarkable comeback and one of the best albums of its time. His longtime collaborator Raphael Saadiq had just said last year that a fourth D’Angelo album was finally in the works.

Rest in peace, D’Angelo.