Michael Eugene Archer (February 11, 1974 – October 14, 2025), better known by his stage name D'Angelo , was an American musician. He first garnered attention after co-writing and co-producing the 1994 single "U Will Know" by the R&B supergroup Black Men United. His debut studio album, Brown Sugar (1995), was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and received widespread acclaim from music critics, who have credited the album for ushering in the neo soul movement.
D'Angelo then collaborated with artists such as his then-girlfriend, Angie Stone, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill, with whom he performed on the 1998 song "Nothing Even Matters". His next album, Voodoo (2000), debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and continued to receive critical acclaim. The album's lead single "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" earned him the Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance while the album itself won Best R&B Album. Following this period, D'Angelo became increasingly uncomfortable with his growing status as a sex symbol.
After over a decade spent mostly out of the public eye, he then released his third studio album, Black Messiah, in 2014. The album was met with critical acclaim and peaked at number five on the US Billboard 200. He died on October 14, 2025 from pancreatic cancer at the age of 51.
Here is one of my favorite soundboard recordings.
D'Angelo live at the North Sea Jazz Festival (2012).
July 8, 2012
Rotterdam, Netherlands @ North Sea Jazz Festival
01. Welcome To The Show (J Dilla) >
02. Playa Playa >
03. Feel Like Makin' Love (Roberta Flack) >
04. Ain't That Easy >
05. Devil's Pie >
06. Chicken Grease
07. Really Love
08. Shit, Damn, Motherfucker
09. Untitled (How Does It Feel) [D solo on keys]
10. Lady
11. Sugar Daddy > Jam (inc. Freddie's Dead & Good To Your Earhole)
D'Angelo (vocals, guitar, keyboards)
C. Holmes, K. Foster, Rob Lumzy (vocals)
Isaiah Sharkey, Jesse Johnson (guitar)
Cleo Samples, Raymond Angry (keyboards)
Pino Palladino (bass)
Chris Dave (drums)
The material featured here is for entertainment and educational purposes. -Papa Robbie
