D'Angelo's Cause Of Death Revealed As R&B Legend Passes Away At 51

The music world is mourning the loss of D’Angelo, the Grammy-winning soul legend behind Brown Sugar and Untitled, who has passed away at the age of 51 after a private battle with pancreatic cancer.

A source close to the singer said he spent months hospitalized before being moved to hospice care, where he remained for two weeks prior to his death. The account was later confirmed by both TMZ and People.

Highlights

A source confirmed D’Angelo had been in hospice for two weeks following months in hospital care.
The “Brown Sugar” and “Voodoo” singer privately battled pancreatic cancer.
DJ Premier led tributes online, calling D’Angelo’s passing a heartbreaking loss for soul music.

DJ Premier, who collaborated with D’Angelo, paid tribute on X.

“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.”

Neo-Soul legend D’ Angelo has passed away following a private battle with pancreatic cancer

R&B legend D'Angelo singing into a microphone wearing a wide-brimmed hat and fur coat during a live performance.

Image credits: Getty/Shahar Azran

Born in Richmond, Virginia, D’Angelo grew up surrounded by gospel music. The son of a Pentecostal minister, he began playing the piano at the age of three and joined his father at church services just two years later.

By his early teens, he had formed a trio called Three of a Kind with his cousins and started performing in local talent shows. Soon after, he created another band, Michael Archer and Precise, alongside his brother Luther.

R&B legend D'Angelo wearing a hat and scarf, posing confidently with tattoos visible on his arms in black and white.

Image credits: Instagram/thedangelo

At 16, D’Angelo auditioned for Amateur Night at the Apollo, a weekly talent competition held at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, the same stage where legends like Lauryn Hill and Stevie Wonder once got their start.

It was his first time performing in front of a national audience.

He sang Peabo Bryson’s “Feel the Fire,” but lost to another contestant. Refusing to give up, he returned the following year to perform Johnny Gill’s “Rub You the Right Way,” winning the first place.

D’Angelo made waves in the R&B music scene with a masculine, soulful sound that granted him several awards

D’Angelo was really one of them ones. Devastating loss. RIP
pic.twitter.com/uYpvYaNPgR
— Jdab (@JDabz87) October 14, 2025

The victory changed everything. With his prize money, D’Angelo bought a four-track recorder and began writing the songs that would shape his future. Those tracks eventually became the foundation of his debut album Brown Sugar.

Released in 1995, the album climbed to No. 4 on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart, went platinum within a year, and earned D’Angelo four Grammy nominations.

R&B legend D'Angelo smiling in a beige suit jacket at an evening event with people in the background.

Image credits: Getty/Vinnie Zuffante

In 2000, D’Angelo released Voodoo, a project that would cement what would later be known as “neo-soul.”

The album debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and R&B charts, winning a Grammy for Best R&B Album.

His single Untitled earned him another Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, and cemented him as a male symbol. But the fame that followed was something he never seemed comfortable with.

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal and difficult to detect forms of the disease

D’Angelo blessed me with the flawless soundtrack of my life & was the most brilliant vocalist. Rest in Power to the undeniable King of Neo-Soul. I’m heartbroken. 🕊️❤️‍🩹 pic.twitter.com/WQSkNCx3gX
— Court. (@TheCourtKim) October 14, 2025

Friends and collaborators often described him as introspective and reclusive. As Voodoo’s success grew, D’Angelo began withdrawing from public life, rarely giving interviews and often disappearing from the spotlight entirely.

Behind the scenes, D’Angelo was fighting a private battle with pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest and most difficult-to-detect forms of the disease. It develops in the tissues of the pancreas, a gland located behind the stomach that helps regulate blood sugar and digestion.

R&B legend D'Angelo performing on stage wearing a black hat and leather vest with electric guitar.

Image credits: Getty/Skip Bolen

Because symptoms often appear only in the later stages, the cancer is typically diagnosed when it has already spread to other organs.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer is roughly 12% overall, and only about 3% for cases that have already spread to distant organs.

Tributes from across the music industry poured in following the announcement of his passing. Fellow artists, producers, and fans described his passing as a devastating loss for music, with many recalling how Brown Sugar and Voodoo became the soundtrack to their lives.