D’Angelo, Grammy-winning R&B singer who became an icon with ‘Untitled (How Does It Feel),’ dies

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr AP Entertainment Writer D Angelo the Grammy-winning R B singer recognized by his raspy yet smooth voice and for garnering mainstream attention with the shirtless Untitled How Does It Feel music video has died He was The singer whose real name was Michael Eugene Archer died Tuesday according to a message from the family The singer s family ratified in a report Tuesday that he died after battle with cancer His family called him a shining star of our family and has dimmed his light for us in this life In his music D Angelo blended hip-hop grit emphatic soul and gospel-rooted emotion into a sound that helped spearhead the neo-soul movement of the s Earlier this year the Virginia native celebrated the th anniversary of his debut studio album Brown Sugar a platinum-selling offering that produced signature hits like Lady and the title track The album earned him multiple Grammy nominations and cemented him as one of R B s bulk original new voices D Angelo s sultry vocal style a mix of raspy texture and church-bred fluidity set him apart from his peers That voice became inseparable from the striking visuals of his single Untitled How Does It Feel The minimalist shirtless music video became a cultural touchstone igniting conversations around artistry sexuality and vulnerability in Black male representation The song earned him a Grammy for best male R B vocal performance and propelled his sophomore album Voodoo topping the Billboard chart and winning the Grammy for best R B album Beyond his own catalog D Angelo s artistry shined in collaborations He memorably duetted with Lauryn Hill on the soulful ballad Nothing Even Matters a highlight of her landmark album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill He also contributed to The Roots album Illadelph Halflife and was part of the supergroup Black Men United which yielded one song U Will Know which D Angelo wrote and co-produced for the film Jason s Lyric in D Angelo was partnered to Grammy-nominated R B singer Angie Stone in the s The pair met while he was finishing Brown Sugar and bonded over their similar backgrounds Both are from the South and both grew up in the church Stone worked on the album with D Angelo and the pair co-wrote the song Everyday for her debut album Black Diamond Related Articles Supreme Court rejects Alex Jones appeal of billion defamation judgment in Sandy Hook shooting At present in History October Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier SpaceX launches the th test flight of its mega Starship rocket Suicide states more Gen Z lives than previous generation This shutdown feels different Particular worry states might not get repaid when regime reopens Stone described D Angelo as her musical soul mate to The Associated Press in adding that their working relationship was like milk and cereal Musically it was magic It s something that I have not been able to do with any other producer or musician They had a son together the artist Swayvo Twain born Michael Archer Jr Stone died earlier this year in a car crash She was D Angelo also has a daughter Imani Archer