<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>D'Angelo, the Grammy-winning R&amp;B singer recognised by his raspy yet smooth voice and for garnering mainstream attention with the shirtless </span><em><span>Untitled (How Does It Feel)</span></em><span> music video, has died. He was 51.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The singer, whose real name was Michael Eugene Archer, died on Tuesday, according to a statement from the family.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The singer's family confirmed in a statement that he died after a prolonged battle with cancer. </span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/little-bastard-done-it-inquest-hears-fathers-claim/22ef4aa3-4ea9-4bbf-a400-d83b8dfa40fc"><strong><span>'Little bastard done it': Dad's alleged bombshell</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They called him "a shining star of our family and has dimmed his light for us in this life", adding that they are "eternally grateful for the legacy of extraordinarily moving music he leaves behind".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>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 1990s. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Earlier this year, the Virginia native celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut studio album </span><em><span>Brown Sugar</span></em><span>, a platinum-selling offering that produced signature hits like </span><em><span>Lady</span></em><span> and the title track. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/dangelo-death-grammy-winning-r-and-b-singer-michael-eugene-archer-untitled-how-does-it-feel-dies-at-51/82b694fb-bf70-4503-aab0-ef86f37c28b0" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 1995 album earned him multiple Grammy nominations and cemented him as one of R&amp;B's most original new voices.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>D'Angelo's sultry vocal style — a mix of raspy texture and church-bred fluidity — set him apart from his peers. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>That voice became inseparable from the striking visuals of his 2000 single </span><em><span>Untitled (How Does It Feel)</span></em><span>. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/affinity-childcare-two-top-executives-step-down-after-sex-abuse-charges-laid-against-former-employee-joshua-brown/cd3a31a6-7734-4021-b2b8-8ac0f4d2e9c4"><strong><span>Two executives quit childcare chain in wake of ex-staffer's abuse charges</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/migaloo-white-humpback-whale-spotted-off-new-zealand-coast-raises-hopes--elusive-albino-whale-may-be-alive-environment-news/2594d013-ec58-4a91-a2a0-a2a1347cee91" rel="" target="" title=""><strong><span>The sight off New Zealand that will thrill Aussies</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The minimalist, shirtless music video became a cultural touchstone, igniting conversations around artistry, sexuality and vulnerability in Black male representation. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The song earned him a Grammy for best male R&amp;B vocal performance and propelled his sophomore album </span><em><span>Voodoo</span></em><span>, topping the Billboard 200 chart and winning the Grammy for best R&amp;B album.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Beyond his own catalog, D'Angelo's artistry shined in collaborations. He memorably duetted with Lauryn Hill on the soulful ballad </span><em><span>Nothing Even Matters</span></em><span>, a highlight of her landmark 1998 album </span><em><span>The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill</span></em><span>. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He also contributed to The Roots' 1996 album </span><em><span>Illadelph Halflife</span></em><span> and was part of the supergroup Black Men United, which yielded one song: </span><em><span>U Will Know</span></em><span>, which D'Angelo wrote and co-produced, for the film </span><em><span>Jason's Lyric</span></em><span> in 1994.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>D'Angelo was partnered to Grammy-nominated R&amp;B singer Angie Stone in the '90s. The pair met while he was finishing </span><em><span>Brown Sugar</span></em><span> 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 </span><em><span>Everyday</span></em><span> for her 1999 debut album, </span><em><span>Black Diamond</span></em><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Stone described D'Angelo as her "musical soul mate" to The Associated Press in 1999, adding that their working relationship was "'like milk and cereal".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Musically, it was magic. It's something that I have not been able to do with any other producer or musician," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>They had a son together, the artist Swayvo Twain, born Michael Archer Jr.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Stone died earlier this year in a car crash. She was 63.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>D'Angelo also has a daughter, Imani Archer.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></a><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727"><strong><span>Apple App Store</span></strong></a><span> </span><strong><span>and</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU"><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></a><strong><span>.</span></strong></div></div>