‘The shining star of our family’: R&B singer D’Angelo passes away at age 51

Musicians including Jill Scott and Tyler, the Creator, remembered D’Angelo arsenic a ‘genius’ arsenic tributes poured in.

Grammy-winning R&B vocalist D’Angelo has passed distant astatine property 51 pursuing a “prolonged and courageous conflict with cancer”, according to a connection from his family.

On Tuesday, his loved ones released a connection announcing his death. “The shining prima of our household has dimmed his airy for america successful this life,” it read.

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“We are saddened that helium tin lone permission beloved memories with his family, but we are eternally grateful for the bequest of extraordinarily moving euphony helium leaves behind.”

D’Angelo, whose existent sanction was Michael Eugene Archer, was champion known for his silky vocals during the 1990s and 2000s, with his grounds Voodoo earning him the 2001 Grammy for Best R&B album.

His deed azygous from that album, Untitled (How Does It Feel), not lone won him different Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, but it besides catapulted him into the mainstream spotlight with its steamy euphony video, featuring a shirtless D’Angelo singing straight to the camera.

The euphony work Rolling Stone has ranked Voodoo arsenic 1 of its champion albums of each time.

News of his passing prompted an outpouring of remembrances from fans, including chap musicians.

“I ne'er met D’Angelo but I emotion him, respect him, respect his gift. This nonaccomplishment HURTS!!” singer-songwriter Jill Scott wrote connected the societal media level X, adding: “R.I.P. GENIUS.”

D’Angelo performs astatine the Essence Music Festival successful New Orleans, Louisiana, connected July 6, 2012 [Cheryl Gerber/Invision via AP Photo]

In his music, D’Angelo blended hip-hop grit, emphatic psyche and gospel-rooted emotion into a dependable that helped spearhead the neo-soul question of the 1990s.

Earlier this year, the Virginia autochthonal celebrated the 30th day of his debut workplace medium Brown Sugar, a platinum-selling offering that produced signature hits similar Lady.

That 1995 medium earned him aggregate Grammy nominations and cemented him arsenic 1 of R&B’s astir archetypal caller voices.

D’Angelo’s sultry vocal benignant — a premix of raspy texture and church-bred fluidity — acceptable him isolated from his peers. That dependable became inseparable from the striking visuals of the Untitled (How Does It Feel) euphony video.

Its minimalist aesthetic became a taste touchstone, igniting conversations astir artistry, sexuality and vulnerability successful Black antheral representation.

Beyond his ain catalogue, D’Angelo’s artistry shone successful collaborations. He memorably duetted with Lauryn Hill connected the soulful ballad Nothing Even Matters, a item of her landmark 1998 album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

He besides contributed to The Roots’ 1996 medium Illadelph Halflife and was portion of the supergroup Black Men United, which yielded 1 song, U Will Know, for the movie Jason’s Lyric successful 1994. D’Angelo wrote and co-produced the single.

D’Angelo received aggregate Grammy nominations and 2 wins for his medium Voodoo [Charles Sykes/Invision via AP Photo]

D’Angelo was successful a four-year narration with Grammy-nominated R&B vocalist Angie Stone successful the 1990s.

The brace met portion helium was finishing the medium Brown Sugar and bonded implicit their akin backgrounds: Both are from the South and some grew up successful the church. Stone worked connected the medium with D’Angelo, and the brace co-wrote the opus Everyday for her 1999 debut album, Black Diamond.

Stone described D’Angelo arsenic her “musical psyche mate” successful an interrogation with The Associated Press successful 1999, adding that their moving narration was “like beverage and cereal”.

“Musically, it was magic,” Stone said. “It’s thing that I person not been capable to bash with immoderate different shaper oregon musician.”

They had a lad together, the creator Swayvo Twain, calved Michael Archer Jr. Stone died earlier this twelvemonth successful a car crash. She was 63.

D’Angelo besides has a daughter, Imani Archer.

Among the tributes to D’Angelo’s artistry connected Tuesday was a societal media station from Tyler, the Creator, who reminisced astir combing his section euphony store connected his ninth birthday.

“I had $20 successful day wealth and my eyes acceptable connected leaving with 1 thing. VOODOO by D’Angelo,” Tyler, the Creator, wrote connected Instagram. “I had nary thought that would assistance signifier my philharmonic dna.”

“I couldn’t recognize however idiosyncratic could constitute thing truthful elemental but idiosyncratic but wide but genius,” helium continued. “Thats however peculiar helium was.”