“I’m Heartbroken”: John Legend mourns the loss of R&B icon D’Angelo

The music world is reeling from the heartbreaking loss of American R&B icon Michael Eugene Archer — known to millions as D’Angelo — who passed away on 14 October, 2025, aged 51 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

D’Angelo gave us timeless tracks like Brown Sugar, Unshaken, and I Found My Smile Again, and his passing has left a deep void — felt not just by his family and close friends, but by fellow artists and fans across the globe.

Among those mourning the loss is Grammy-winning artist John Legend, who poured out his grief in a emotional Instagram post, sharing just how deeply D’Angelo’s death has affected him.

Here’s what John had to say as he tried to capture the weight of this loss in words:

“I’m heartbroken to hear of the passing of one of our generation’s greatest artists, D’Angelo. I remember 1995, when Brown Sugar came out and changed my life. I was just graduating high school and moved to Philadelphia to go to college. I bought my first stereo with a CD player (strictly cassette tapes and vinyl before that!), and my first 2 CD purchases were Brown Sugar and Mary J Blige’s classic My Life. I played both of these albums incessantly,” wrote John.

How D’Angelo shaped my sound

Continuing to pour his heart out, John went on to write:

“My freshman-year roommate (who preferred Jimmy Buffett) and I still joke about how different our musical tastes were and how he couldn’t get “Shit Damn Motherfucker” out of his head if he tried.

“D’Angelo’s debut was rooted in classic soul but also felt so fresh and different. It inspired me and my other musician friends so much. It helped me believe that there were different ways to be an R&B artist, ways to buck the norms of the mainstream. I would try to imitate his smoky tone and smooth falsetto, the way he would stack his backing vocals, the way he would incorporate vintage keyboards and organs for his signature sound. The way he harkened back to our shared roots in the Black church.

“Brown Sugar meant so much to me. Then he took his first long break from the public eye. And when he returned, it was to release Voodoo. It was like a musical earthquake. So impactful and game-changing. Of course the video, the abs, etc, made him a bit of a crossover phenomenon, but the MUSIC was even more daring, more musical, more stunning, than his debut,” wrote John.

A farewell to a legend

Closing his message with deep emotion, John wrote:

“He took another even longer break and released another masterpiece Black Messiah. Every album from D’Angelo was an event, something his fans were waiting for, something we needed. Every album meant so much to me as a lover of soul music.

“Though we have a few friends in common, I never knew him personally. But through his music he was an important part of my story. I just want to thank D’Angelo for being an inspiration in my life and in the lives of so many other artists. I’m so upset that the world lost such a brilliant soul so early. But we will always have his bold, beautiful music. What a legacy of greatness he has left,” wrote John.

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