Early Life
D’Angelo, born Michael Eugene Archer, was born in Richmond, Virginia, on February 11, 1974. He was born to a Pentecostal preacher father and grew up in a very religious family. His musical talents were recognized when he was just a boy.
When D’Angelo was young, he formed a musical group in Richmond called Michael Archer and Precise. The group covered soul classics as well as created their own music. The group experienced much success at the Apollo Amateur Night Competition in New York City. Enough success that an 18-year old D’Angelo quit school and moved to NYC to pursue a musical career full time.
Career
In 1991, D’Angelo signed a publishing deal with EMI Music. The record company was so impressed with his three-hour piano recital that he performed for his audition that he was signed for a record deal in 1993.
In 1994, D’Angelo got his first taste of real success. As a co-writer and co-producer for the hit single U Will Know by Black Men United, D’Angelo took the first steps towards fame. The single peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In June 1995, D’Angelo’s debut album, Brown Sugar, was released. The album experienced significant success and debuted at number 6 on the US Billboard Top R&B Albums. It spent 54 weeks on the chart, and by October 1995, the album had sold 500,000 copies. In February 1996, the album went certified platinum.
After Brown Sugar, D’Angelo went on a four-year sabbatical. After touring Brown Sugar for two years, the songwriter was suffering from extreme writer’s block. In this time, he released covers and collaborations with other well-known artists, such as Erykah Badu.
Voodoo, D’Angelo’s much anticipated second studio album, was released in 2000 by Virgin Records. The album received critical acclaim and debuted on the US Billboard 200 chart at number one. Voodoo won the GRAMMY award for Best R&B Album, and by 2005, the album sold over 1.7 million copies in the US.
The album’s third single, Untitled (How Does It Feel), established D’Angelo as a widely known sex symbol. The steamy video earned D’Angelo three nominations at the MTV Video Awards. But this attention made D’Angelo uncomfortable and caused him to go on a second hiatus.
D’Angelo turned to alcohol, and his plans for a live album were scrapped. He lost touch with his family, parted ways with his girlfriend and management, and was arrested for a DUI as well as drug possession.
In 2007, Questlove leaked a rough track of D’Angelo’s. A year later, D’Angelo released a “best of” compilation CD/DVD album, titled The Best So Far… D’Angelo announced a European tour in 2011. In 2014, D’Angelo released Black Messiah, his third album, which won Best R&B Album at the 2015 GRAMMY Awards.
D’Angelo Relationships: Who He’s Dated
Little is known about D’Angelo’s dating history. Our current knowledge states the artist is single. In the 90s, he dated the famous soul singer Angie Stone. In 1998, the couple had a son together, Michael D’Angelo Archer II.
In the News
D’Angelo is no stranger to the law. In the early 2000s, D’Angelo was arrested for marijuana possession and a DUI. A separate incident led to his arrest for marijuana and cocaine in 2005. After this arrest, mugshots of D’Angelo looking unhealthy and overweight circulated. A week after the 2005 drug charges, D’Angelo got in a rough car accident. Luckily, he was not severely injured.
In addition to his child he had with Angie Stone, D’Angelo has two more children, Imani Archer and Morocco Archer.
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