D'Angelo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids D'Angelo
D'Angelo performing in 2012
Background information
Birth name	Michael Eugene Archer
Also known as	D ("Dee") Mike
Born	(1974-02-11) February 11, 1974 (age 51) Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Genres	Neo soul funk hip hop soul R&B progressive soul
Occupations	Singer songwriter multi-instrumentalist record producer
Instruments	Vocals guitar piano keyboards drums
Works	D'Angelo discography
Years active	1991–present
Labels	EMI Virgin J RCA

Michael Eugene Archer (born in Richmond, Virginia, on February 11, 1974), is better known as D'Angelo. He is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He plays many instruments and also produces music.

D'Angelo first became known for helping create the song "U Will Know". This song was for the R&B supergroup Black Men United. His first album, Brown Sugar (1995), was a huge success. It sold over a million copies and critics said it helped start the neo soul music style. His song "Lady" was a top ten hit.

He then worked with famous artists like Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill. His next album, Voodoo (2000), went straight to number one in the US. It also won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. The song "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" from Voodoo won him a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

After being out of the spotlight for more than ten years, D'Angelo released his third album, Black Messiah, in 2014. This album was also highly praised. It reached number five on the US Billboard 200 chart. In 2018, D'Angelo also sang the song "Unshaken" for the video game Red Dead Redemption 2.

Early Life and Music Beginnings

D'Angelo was born Michael Eugene Archer in South Richmond, Virginia. His family noticed his musical talent very early. When he was just three years old, his older brother Luther saw him playing the piano.

In 1991, when D'Angelo was 17, his group "Michael Archer and Precise" won three times at the famous Amateur Night competition at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York. After this success, D'Angelo decided to leave school. He moved to New York City to focus on his music career. He was inspired to create his own album and started writing many songs.

Music Career Highlights

1991–1995: Brown Sugar Album Success

At 17, D'Angelo met Jocelyn Cooper, who signed him to a music publishing company. She heard a demo of a hip hop group he produced and rapped in. Cooper then introduced D'Angelo to other musicians like Raphael Saadiq and Angie Stone to write songs together.

In 1993, D'Angelo signed a recording contract with EMI Music after a great audition. His manager, Kedar Massenburg, helped him with his contracts.

In 1994, D'Angelo had his first big hit with "U Will Know". He helped write and produce this song for the R&B supergroup Black Men United. This group included famous singers like Usher and Boyz II Men. The song was featured in the movie Jason's Lyric and became a top hit on the R&B charts. D'Angelo also wrote and produced "Overjoyed" for the Boys Choir of Harlem.

His debut album, Brown Sugar, came out in July 1995. At first, sales were slow, but the album quickly became very popular. It reached number four on the US Billboard Top R&B Albums chart. The album stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for over a year.

Brown Sugar sold 300,000 copies in its first two months. By early 1996, it had sold over a million copies in the US. This earned it a platinum certification. The album's success was boosted by its hit singles. These included "Lady" and the R&B top-ten songs "Brown Sugar" and "Cruisin'". Overall, the album sold more than 1.5 million copies.

1996–2000: Voodoo Album and Awards

After the success of Brown Sugar, D'Angelo toured for two years. He then took a break from releasing much new solo music. He found it hard to write new songs during this time. He said that songs come from life, so you need to live to write them.

During this period, he mostly released cover songs. He covered "Your Precious Love" with Erykah Badu for a movie soundtrack. He also covered Prince's "She's Always in My Hair" and the Ohio Players' "Heaven Must Be Like This". D'Angelo also sang a duet called "Nothing Even Matters" with Lauryn Hill for her first solo album.

His highly anticipated second album, Voodoo, was released in 2000. Critics loved Voodoo, calling it a "masterpiece." The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. It sold 320,000 copies in its first week. By 2005, Voodoo had sold over 1.7 million copies in the US.

In 2001, Voodoo won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. The album's third single, "Untitled (How Does It Feel)", became its biggest hit. It reached number 25 on the Hot 100 Singles chart. The music video for "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" was very popular. It received three nominations at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.

2001–2013: Challenges and Return to Music

After his world tour for Voodoo, D'Angelo stepped away from the public eye. He returned to his home in Richmond, Virginia. His former manager noted that the success of his music video and tour made him lose confidence. He felt fans might not be supporting him for the right reasons.

Plans for new music were put on hold. D'Angelo wanted to play every instrument on his next project. He aimed for complete creative control, like Prince. People who heard his new songs said they sounded like a mix of Parliament/Funkadelic, the Beatles, and Prince, with a Jimi Hendrix energy.

D'Angelo performing at Brixton Academy in London, 2012

In 2008, D'Angelo released a compilation album called The Best So Far…. It included songs from his first two albums and some rare tracks. It also came with a DVD of unreleased videos.

In late 2011, D'Angelo announced he would go on a European tour in 2012. The tour started in Sweden and ended in February. He performed hits from his past albums and four new songs. These new songs were "Sugah Daddy," "Ain't That Easy," "Another Life," and "The Charade." They were very well received by fans.

In June 2012, D'Angelo performed at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in the US. This was his first US performance in almost 12 years. He also performed at Jay-Z's Made in America festival in September 2012.

2014–2020: Black Messiah and "Unshaken"

D'Angelo released his third album, Black Messiah, in December 2014. He originally planned to release it in 2015. However, important events in the US inspired him to release it sooner.

His manager shared a short teaser video of the album online. Two days later, the song "Sugah Daddy" was released for download. After a special listening party, Black Messiah was released digitally on December 15. The album's sudden release was compared to Beyoncé's surprise album in 2013.

Critics gave Black Messiah excellent reviews. It debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 chart. It sold 117,000 copies in the United States in its first week. In the United Kingdom, it reached number 47 on the album chart.

D'Angelo supported Black Messiah with a tour called The Second Coming. His band, "The Vanguard," included talented musicians like drummer Chris Dave and bassist Pino Palladino. The tour had 57 shows in Europe, Asia, and North America.

At the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, Black Messiah won Best R&B Album. The song "Really Love" won Best R&B Song. These albums helped set the stage for other politically themed music released in 2016.

In June 2015, D'Angelo told Rolling Stone magazine that he was working on more music. He called it a "companion piece" to Black Messiah. In 2016, he performed Prince's "Sometimes it Snows in April" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. This was a tribute to Prince, who was a big influence on D'Angelo.

D'Angelo also contributed to the soundtrack for the 2018 video game Red Dead Redemption 2. He sang on the song "Unshaken". He had played the game before and loved the series. The game's music team invited him to perform a song, which he finished in a week. "Unshaken" was released as a digital song in January 2019.

2021–Present: New Projects

On February 14, 2021, D'Angelo announced he would perform at the Apollo Theater. This was part of an online music event called Verzuz. The event was called D'Angelo VS Friends. He performed a solo set and also with friends like Keyon Harrold and H.E.R..

In June 2021, D'Angelo performed at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. He sang "Unshaken" from the Red Dead Redemption 2 soundtrack. He played guitar and sang, joined by the soundtrack producer Daniel Lanois and members of his band, The Vanguard.

In 2024, D'Angelo was featured on the song "I Want You Forever" with Jay-Z. This song was for the movie The Book of Clarence. In September 2024, his friend Raphael Saadiq said that D'Angelo was doing well and working on a new album.

Musical Style and Influences

D'Angelo has been influenced by many great musicians. In 1995, he said that Prince inspired him to write, produce, and perform all his own music. He wanted to be a true artist like Prince.

He also said that hip hop groups like A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr influenced his first album. D'Angelo explained that the sound of his music comes from what inspires him. He learned a lot from listening to gospel, blues, old soul, James Brown, early Sly and the Family Stone, and Jimi Hendrix.

During the making of his second album, D'Angelo recorded many unreleased songs. He also covered songs by artists who influenced him. These included soul artist Al Green, funk artist George Clinton, and Afrobeat artist Fela Kuti.

In 2023, Rolling Stone magazine ranked D'Angelo as number 75 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.

Personal Life

D'Angelo has three children. He has a son born in 1998 with soul singer Angie Stone. He also has a daughter born in 1999 and another son born in 2010.

Discography

Studio albums

• Brown Sugar (1995)
• Voodoo (2000)
• Black Messiah (with The Vanguard) (2014)

Tours

• Brown Sugar Tour (1996)
• The Voodoo World Tour (2000)
• Occupy Music Tour (2012)
• The Liberation Tour (2012)
• The Second Coming Tour (2015)

Awards and Nominations

Blockbuster Entertainment Awards

Grammy Awards

MTV Europe Music Awards

Pollstar Concert Industry Awards

Rober Awards Music Prize

See also

In Spanish: D'Angelo para niños

• Neo soul
• Soulquarians