Neo-Soul Trailblazer D'Angelo Dead at 51 Years Old

The pioneer and visionary’s death was announced by his family.

Summary

• Neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo has died at 51 on October 14, following a prolonged battle with cancer
• His debut album, Brown Sugar, released in 1995, is widely credited with launching the neo-soul movement
• He was a central figure in the Soulquarians collective, collaborating with artists like Questlove, Erykah Badu, and J Dilla

Neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo has died at 51 years old. The influential artist’s family announced the news on social media, revealing his cause of death to be cancer.

“The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life … 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, departing this life today, October 14th, 2025,” the statement read.

“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.  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 beloved visionary was thrusted into the spotlight with his work on Black Men United’s “U Will Know” in 1994. D’Angelo released his debut studio album Brown Sugar a year later; the record is widely regarded as the album that launched neo-soul. He and Questlove went on to create the Soulquarians, a rotating collective of Black musicians that expanded on soul, hip-hop, avant garde, jazz and R&B. Members included the likes of Erykah Badu, J Dilla, Q-Tip, Mos Def and Common. Throughout his life, he collaborated with everyone from Badu to JAY-Z, Raphael Saadiq, Lauryn Hill and so many more.