Neo-soul lovers experienced yet another loss when singer D’Angelo died on Tuesday (Oct. 14) after a private battle with pancreatic cancer. The Black internet is still mourning the death of a legend, who was the quiet genius who effortlessly redefined Black male beauty with just one music video and who gave us permission to be vulnerable. But it’s his personal life, including his relationship with the late-Angie Stone, that was kept out of the spotlight and continued to be the topic of speculation for decades. Until now.
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This is the love story of D’Angelo and Angie Stone you probably didn’t know about.
How They Met
Stone met D’Angelo, born Michael Eugene Archer in Richmond, Virginia, around 1994 while working on his debut album “Brown Sugar.” The album was complete with standout singles “Cruisin,” “Me and Those Dreamin’ Eyes,” and who could forget, “Lady.”
According to reports, Stone, who was the pioneering member of the female rap trio The Sequence in 1979 before branching out on her own, was brought in to help the newly signed singer with his album. She co-wrote and co-produced the 1995 project, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album.
Stone even served as the inspiration and muse for “Brown Sugar,” Hello! reported.
When Love Called Their Names
They first started dating in the 1990s when Stone was 30 years old and D’Angelo was 19. And some folks who did know about their romance called out their age gap.
“What people didn’t realize was that before he became successful there was Angie Stone from the group Vertical Hold— a strong beautiful sister who dated somebody who had not even crossed the threshold of the industry yet,” Stone told Essence. “When I was dating him he wore glasses, had short hair and his pants were hanging down to his butt. He was just a 19-year-old kid with big shorts and nobody cared and no one saw his beauty but me.”
Stone at the time added how she told him, “‘You are beautiful. I promise you when your record drops your lips are gonna become famous, your eyes—everything will become famous.’”
And she was spot on.
Their Relationship
The pair dated for four years.
“I think because D’Angelo was my first relationship, people think that I only date young men,” Stone also said. “Because I look younger, these guys don’t know my age when they get involved with me and I don’t really know theirs, but I act on spirit.”
She also added at the time that, ‘The criticism that D’Angelo and I received about our relationship only began once he became successful.’
The Backlash
Stone recalled how her beau didn’t even have an image at the time of his debut album when she, “braided his hair with thread for his first album cover. It wasn’t until “Brown Sugar” came out that people actually took a good look at him and said, ‘You know what? He’s fine.’ Then all of a sudden, he’s so fine he shouldn’t be with me.’”
“He pursued me, I did not pursue him,” Stone told VladTV in 2023. “I thought he was older than he was because he had an old soul. At the time, we were just the best of friends. As time grew, we ended up falling for each other. All I can tell you is sh*t happens.”
Their Child
Michael Archer Jr., their son, was born in 1997. Today, Archer Jr. is a musician who performs under the stage name Swayvo Twain, and has released two projects “House of Flav” (2021) and “Black is Gold” (2022).
He also released his own version of his father’s 1995 hit, “Sh*t, Damn, Motherf**ker.”
Their Love Translated Into Music
Stone and D’Angelo collaborated on the former’s track titled “Everyday,” released in 1999. The song was featured on Stone’s debut album “Black Diamond,” a true testament of their real-life chemistry on display audibly.
Stone, real name Angela Laverne Stone, is even credited as a co-writer on D’Angelo’s track “Send It On” (2000) from his second album “Voodoo.” Reports suggest D’Angelo composed the song two years prior after the birth of their son.
The South Carolina native even toured with D’Angelo as a background singer on his Brown Sugar tour.
The Break Up
Stone ended her relationship with D’Angelo, claiming infidelity on his part when he fathered a daughter outside of the relationship in 1999. At the time, she was 38 years old and he was 25.
“D’Angelo and I are parents first,” Stone reiterated in 2020, per the Daily Mail. “For the sake of my son, I would never disrespect his father. I am an understanding sister and it’s a love-hate relationship.”
Angie Stone’s Death
While Stone was heading back to Atlanta after a performance, the van she was traveling in flipped over and was then hit by an 18-wheeler truck on March 1 near Montgomery, Alabama.
According to a lawsuit filed by her family, the “No More Rain” singer was ejected from the van, trapped underneath it, and died at the scene. She was 63.
Why D’Angelo Didn’t Attend Stone’s Funeral
A source told PEOPLE that D’Angelo “never arrived at her funeral service” held at the Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral on March 14 in Austell, Georgia, because “losing Angie was devastating to him.”
The source added that the singer was “extremely overwhelmed,” even though the pair had “moved on with their lives romantically […] but the idea that both of them would be gone within the same year is sad.”
D’Angelo’s Death Seven Months Later
D’Angelo, the son of a Pentecostal preacher according to VIBE, died on Oct. 14 “after a prolonged and courageous battle with cancer,” CNN reported. He was 51.
RCA, his longtime record company, said they were “deeply saddened” by his death.
“He was a peerless visionary who effortlessly blended the classic sounds of soul, funk, gospel, R&B, and jazz with a hip hop sensibility,” the statement read. “D’Angelo’s songwriting, musicianship and unmistakable vocal styling has endured and will continue to inspire generations of artists to come.”
Their Son Speaks Out
“I am grateful for your thoughts and prayers during these very difficult times, as it has been a very rough and sad year for me,” their son said in a statement, adding how he wants “you [to] please continue to keep me in your thoughts as it will not be easy, but one thing that both my parents taught me was to be strong, and I intend to do just that.”
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