D'Angelo dead: Grammy-winning R&B icon dies aged 51 after cancer battle

Grammy-winning soul legend D'Angelo has died aged 51 after a private battle with pancreatic cancer. The Brown Sugar hitmaker passed away on Tuesday morning in New York City, according to sources close to his family and longtime manager Kedar Massenberg. His death brings an end to one of the most distinctive and influential careers in modern R&B, spanning three decades and reshaping the sound of neo-soul.

Best known for hits including Lady, Untitled (How Does It Feel) and Really Love, D'Angelo became a defining voice of the 1990s and early 2000s soul renaissance. His debut album Brown Sugar in 1995 marked his arrival as a prodigy - blending gospel roots, funk, and jazz into a sensual, groundbreaking sound that inspired a generation of artists from Alicia Keys to Frank Ocean.

A source close to the family said: "He was surrounded by loved ones when he passed. D'Angelo fought hard and with grace until the end." Another added: "He was one of those rare artists who gave everything to the music - he left nothing behind."

Across his career, D'Angelo collaborated with musical heavyweights including Jay-Z, Q-Tip, Snoop Dogg, and Erykah Badu, and was celebrated not only for his velvet voice but also for his musicianship - often playing multiple instruments and co-producing his own albums.

Tributes have already begun pouring in from across the entertainment world.

DJ Premier, who collaborated with him on the 1998 track "Devil's Pie," shared a post via X on Oct. 14 confirming the news.

"Such a sad loss to the passing of D'angelo. We have so many great times. Gonna miss you so much. Sleep Peacefully D' Love You KING," he wrote.

One fan wrote on X: "D'Angelo changed the way R&B felt - the sound, the soul, the swagger. A true legend gone too soon." Another posted simply: "Brown Sugar forever."

His follow-up, Voodoo, released in 2000, earned him two Grammys including Best R&B Album, cementing his place among music's elite.

But it was the steamy, minimalist video for Untitled (How Does It Feel) - showing the singer appearing nude against a dark backdrop - that made him a cultural phenomenon.

The clip became one of the most talked-about in music video history, sparking endless conversation and parody while "redefining the image" of the modern male soul singer.

Nominated for 14 Grammys over the course of his career, D'Angelo won four awards, including Best R&B Album twice for Voodoo and Black Messiah.

He also won Best R&B Vocal Performance for Untitled (How Does It Feel) and Best R&B Song for Black Messiah's Really Love.

The singer is survived by 2 sons and a daughter. The mother of his first son was singer Angie Stone, who died tragically this year in a car accident.