D’Angelo Remembered as Soul Pioneer After Death at 51

The R&B and soul great D’Angelo has passed away at the age of 51 after what his family described as a “long and courageous battle with cancer.” Considered one of the more influential artists in contemporary R&B, D’Angelo—born Michael D’Angelo Archer—leaves a body of work that has changed the face of soul music for a whole generation.

His family confirmed the news Tuesday, saying in a prepared statement that “the shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life.” Listing reasons for their sadness, they added, “We are heartbroken to announce that Michael D’Angelo Archer, known to his fans worldwide as D’Angelo, has been called home.”

The statement continued, “We are saddened that he has left dear memories for his family but eternally grateful for the legacy of the exceedingly moving music he leaves behind. We ask for our privacy to be respected at this time, but we invite all of you to come join us in mourning his passing while celebrating the gift of song which he has left in the world.”

The rise of a soul revolutionary

D’Angelo exploded upon the popular music scene in the 1990s with his first album, Brown Sugar, which practically created the neo-soul movement. The hit single “Lady” is instantly an all-time classic, reaching the No. 10 position on Billboard’s Hot 100 during 1996 and remaining on the chart for 20 weeks. The seductive charm and frank sensuality of the album’s smooth, jazz-infused sensibility brought him considerable applause from the critics and a loyal audience.

But it was in 2000 that his position as one of the most captivative voices in r&b was finally settled. The album, “Voodoo,” became a No. 1 best-seller in the Billboard 200 list and won the Grammy as best r&b album. One of its successful numbers, “Untitled (How Does It Feel) is regarded as a musical and social phenomenon. It won him the Grammy as best r&b male vocalist, and was the cause of an infinite amount of discussion because of its ultra-simple, one-take film shot with which it was associated, garnering great popularity on both MtV and Net.

Tributes pour in for a timeless artist

There were many recent tributes paid to the immortal artist. D’Angelo’s company, RCA, stated he was “a peerless visionary who easily and naturally blended the classic sounds of soul, funk, gospel, r&b, and jazz musicianship with glory (hiphop) music.” In a statement by the company made through NBC, the company stated: “D’Angelo’s artist genius, songwriting and truly unmistakable vocalisms have today and will for ages twinkle like the fixed stars of heaven, inspiring generations of imitators into the eternal ages to come. Our hearts and thoughts go with his family and many friends during the sad period of his kin’s greatness.

Among those who remembered him, one was Nile Rodgers, the famous, Grammy-winning musician, who told of the past when he met D’Angelo for the first time in New York City. “He kept inquiring what he might do with the music he had,” Rodgers related. “I listened all the way through every bit of music ever present, not merely from respect but because it was smoking! At the close of the inquisition, he said, ‘What would you do with it?’ This was about like yesterday’s incident to me. I said, ‘Let it out! It is too good!’

D’Angelo became known through his life as a “music” artist and gift of the right to be himself, the kind of artist who held the future of R&B music in his hands, and who was able to do it in a manner that inspired those immortal greats of the soul who had sung life and immortality before him. It is said his musical genius seems quite evident in the compositions of many of the latest successes, some of which, Frank Ocean, Anderson Paak and H.E.R., will give the necessary stage for his artistic broadness on the foundation he laid while he was here with us!

But D’Angelo, who is gone but his music, fraught with the emotions of the musical genius, and which is the victor in the realms of r&b, gives us no victory today, but very virile terms in r&b and other forms of productions on the planetary being of which he belonged. Here are two grand attributes: the creator must have some raw material, he must be produced out of the same raw ingredients. Music and humanity is borne of humanity and great truths and easily remains a moss to the velvet-like performances of the generations. History says: “The Almighty said: ‘Let there be light!'” D’Angelo knows a thing was made tonight in joy, because this is another justification for angelic voices.