When R&B artist Michael Eugene Archer, better known as D’Angelo, died last week after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, the music world lost yet another legendary singer, songwriter, and musician who left too soon.
Known for his distinct sound, D’Angelo’s songs became synonymous with Black culture. He also had strong ties to Philadelphia, having performed at the Made in America music festival in 2012. He was recently expected to headline this year’s Roots Picnic before falling ill.
D’Angelo was the perfect act for a renaissance music genre dubbed neo-soul, and once again, Philadelphia became a musical hub. “In Philadelphia, we felt him on a deeper level,” says Charlie Mack, an icon in his own right in the entertainment industry. “This city has always been the heartbeat of soul—from Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff to Jill [Scott], Musiq [Soulchild], The Roots, and Bilal.”
Mack, who has been involved in music since the days of DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, notes D’Angelo’s impact on the city, saying he “was one of the sparks that lit that flame.”
“He was the brother who reminded the culture that you could be smooth and soulful, yet still revolutionary,” Mack explains. “And that spoke directly to Philly, a city built on struggle, sound, and spirit.”
D’Angelo performed in Philadelphia numerous times, and WDAS-FM radio personality Patty Jackson fondly recalls the Grammy Award-winner’s performances and why he was a must-see act.
“It’s sad because D’Angelo was a real musician,” Jackson says. “I saw him at the Tower Theater, and he was just going from one instrument to another in an era where you don’t see real musicians.”
Thirty years ago, D’Angelo released “Brown Sugar,” a project that changed the face of music. Jackson adds, “He followed in the footsteps of Stevie Wonder and Prince as this musician who was pushed into the sex symbol thing because he really wasn’t comfortable with that image.”
James Poyser, who produced a couple of tracks with D’Angelo, recalls meeting him while working on an Erykah Badu album at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia, alongside members of The Roots and others.
“Questlove [a member of The Roots] says, ‘D’Angelo might be coming through today.’ I was like, ‘Oh, cool, I never met him before,’” Poyser remembers. “So he came through and we had like a three- or four-hour jam session. Actually, it might have been longer than that.”
“I just remember thinking this dude is incredible, and his encyclopedic brain—he just knows so much music,” he continues. “Questlove is renowned for knowing so much, but D’Angelo was the same way. I thought I knew music, but these guys know everything.”
Poyser says he and D’Angelo had similar styles that complemented each other.
“He was like, ‘Man, you should come on and jam with me on the road,’” Poyser shares. “So, he was on the last legs of the Brown Sugar Tour, and I did a couple of dates with them.”
Poyser then started working on the memorable “Voodoo” album, and some of the songs were born out of the previous jam session where D’Angelo’s — originally a Virginia native — Philadelphia roots were planted. The track “Chicken Grease” is one of the songs that Poyser helped produce.
He can’t stress enough that D’Angelo’s legacy as a musician and his impact on the industry have influenced countless others.
“D’Angelo is an absolutely incredible musician,” Poyser shares. “You know, I’m a keyboard player and I know a lot of great keyboard players. Nobody plays like D’Angelo. He has his own specific style.”
“His records and his music have influenced all of music,” he continues. “When you talk to every musician, their favorite is D’Angelo. The style he came with really changed the game.”
Whether it was “Brown Sugar” or “Voodoo,” as Mack states, D’Angelo gave the City of Brotherly Love that grown-man honesty and that corner-to-corner energy that Philadelphia understands.
“His influence on Black music, especially through the Philly scene, is undeniable,” Mack says.
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