Late R&B and soul pioneer D’Angelo spent his final months in the hospital while battling pancreatic cancer, a source close to his family confirmed.
D’Angelo, born Michael Eugene Archer, died on Tuesday (October 14) in hospice care after spending months in the hospital, the source told PEOPLE. The Grammy winner’s 27-year-old son, Michael Jr., whom he shared with late R&B singer Angie Stone, was by his side in his final days.
“His son was there with him and had been with him in the hospital,” the source said. “People are really worried about Mike right now; his mom died a day after his birthday, and now six months later he’s burying his dad.”
Stone died unexpectedly in a car accident on March 1.
“He’s been through a lot in such a short amount of time,” the source added.
D’Angelo rose to fame in the 90s with his debut album Brown Sugar, which went platinum and earned him four Grammy nominations. His 2000 album, Voodoo, debuted at No. 1 and won two Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Album and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for the iconic “Untitled (How Does It Feel).”
While “Untitled” cemented his status as a sex symbol, D’Angelo reportedly struggled with portraying that image.
“He battled with his weight,” the source said. “The chiseled machismo man that people fell in love with — that wasn’t his natural aesthetic. He never was comfortable being a sex symbol, but also he didn’t like people seeing him on his heavier side.”
D’Angelo largely stepped out of the spotlight in the years following his initial success.
“He had a manager but he wouldn’t work. He was a recluse; he didn’t like going out of the house,” the source said.
D’Angelo is survived by his three children. Tributes poured in for the soul legend in the wake of his death from the likes of Beyoncé, Lauryn Hill, Kelly Rowland, Jennifer Hudson, and more.
“Such an amazing talent is gone,” the source said.
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