SA Mourns US Singer D'Angelo, 51, Who Battled Pancreatic Cancer

• Grammy-award winning singer D'Angelo has passed away at the age of 51, after a long battle with cancer
• Tributes have been pouring in for the late Brown Sugar hitmaker, who touched many people's lives with his music
• Mzansi peeps also paid tribute to D'Angelo, and many shared their favourite songs by him

Grammy-award-winning singer D'Angelo, real name Michael Archer, has sadly passed away at the age of 51.

According to a statement from his family, he passed away on 14 October 2025, after battling pancreatic cancer, reported Variety. On X, the blog quoted the family statement, which reads:

“The shining star of our family has dimmed his light for us in this life…After a prolonged and courageous battle with cancer, we are heartbroken to announce that Michael D’Angelo Archer, known to his fans around the world as D’Angelo, has been called home, departing this life today, October 14th, 2025. We are saddened that he can only leave dear memories with his family, but we are eternally grateful for the legacy of extraordinarily moving music he leaves behind. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time, but invite you all to join us in mourning his passing while also celebrating the gift of song that he has left for the world.”

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Just recently, comedian Sabelo Gumede was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer and reached out to people for support.

SA joins the world in mourning D'Angelo

A local X user, @TheTitanBaddie, hailed Brown Sugar hitmaker for his talent and contribution to the genre. Sisa noted how he inspired a generation of singers, including Solange Knowles.

"Truly, his greatest gift to us was D'Angelo and his Neo-soul peers helping re-imagine was R&B and Soul music could be. Without these two albums, we would've had a harder road getting to the kind of work Miguel, Janelle, Frank and Solange would be celebrated for."

This year, singer Angie Stone also passed away after a car accident, and the two legends shared a son.

More people, artists and musicians around the world took to X to share their heartfelt condolences to the family.

@jazzisdeadco shared:

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"Rest in Power, D’Angelo. A true Maestro — his voice, vision, & spirit reshaped the sound of a generation. He didn’t just make music — he built a language of soul, rooted in tradition but entirely his own. Fly high, D'."

@sweetbabyrayes responded:

"There will be people who hear D’Angelo for the first time, and they will know that we were blessed to grow up with his music. A true legend, a gift, that will forever be treasured."

@TaxmanTm shared:

"D’Angelo, my heart’s breaking. Michael Archer, you weren’t just a voice—you were my sanctuary, my tears, my joy. Your music, from Brown Sugar’s tender pull to Voodoo’s sacred pulse, felt like you knew my soul’s deepest corners. Every note you sang held my hand through love, loss, and hope. Losing you at 51 feels like losing a piece of myself. Your songs are my heartbeat, my late-night refuge, my forever friend. Rest in peace, my guiding star. I love you, endlessly>"

@MissyElliott wrote:

"Rest Peacefully, D’Angelo. No parent wants to see their children go, but it’s painful for children to see their parents go too so send prayers up for his son, who also lost his mom this year, for strength."

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Granny channels Angie Stone

In a previous report from Briefly News, a granny stole hearts by singing along to the late American singer Angie Stone’s hit song.

The cool granny seemed to have enjoyed the music and showed deep respect for the late singer in the clip shared on TikTok.

Source: Briefly News