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D'Angelo

R&B and Neo Soul Singer-Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist and Record Producer

R&B and Neo Soul Singer-Songwriter, Multi-Instrumentalist and Record Producer

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D'Angelo Biography

D'Angelo was one of the founders and leading lights of the neo-soul movement of the mid- to late '90s, which aimed to bring the organic flavor of classic R&B back to the hip-hop age. Modeling himself on the likes of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Prince, Curtis Mayfield, and Al Green, D'Angelo's influences didn't just come across in his vocal style -- like most of those artists, he wrote his own material, and frequently produced it as well, helping to revive the concept of the R&B auteur. His debut album, "Brown Sugar," gradually earned him an audience so devoted that the follow-up, "Voodoo," debuted at No. 1 despite a five-year wait in between. The wait for his third album -- at one point tentatively titled "James River" -- was much longer.

Michael D'Angelo Archer was born February 11, 1974, in Richmond, Virginia, the son of a Pentecostal minister. He began teaching himself piano as a very young child, and at age 18 he won the amateur talent competition at Harlem's Apollo Theater three weeks in a row. He was briefly a member of a hip-hop group called I.D.U. and signed a publishing deal with EMI in 1991. His first major success came in 1994 as the co-writer and co-producer of the Top Five R&B single "U Will Know" on the "Jason's Lyric" soundtrack; it featured a one-time all-star R&B aggregate dubbed Black Men United. That helped lead to his debut solo album, "Brown Sugar," released in July 1995. Helped by the title track, also a Top Five R&B single, a cover of Smokey Robinson and Marv Tarplin's "Cruisin'" (No. 10 R&B), and "Lady" (No. 2 R&B), Brown Sugar caught on with R&B fans looking for an alternative to the hip-hop soul dominating the urban contemporary landscape. Along with artists like Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Maxwell, and collaborator Angie Stone, D'Angelo became part of a retro-leaning, neo-soul revivalist movement. Brown Sugar received enormously complimentary reviews and sold over two million copies, and D'Angelo supported it with extensive touring over the next two years.

On occasion, D'Angelo contributed a cover tune to a movie soundtrack, including Eddie Kendricks' "Girl You Need a Change of Mind" ("Get on the Bus"), the Ohio Players' "Heaven Must Be Like This" ("Down in the Delta"), and Prince's "She's Always in My Hair" ("Scream 2"). He also duetted with Lauryn Hill on "Nothing Even Matters," a cut from her Grammy-winning blockbuster "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." Still, fans awaiting a proper follow-up to "Brown Sugar" remained frustrated -- at first by no news at all, and then by frequent delays in the recording process and the scheduled release date. Finally, "Voodoo" was released in January 2000 and debuted at No. 1, an indication of the size and devotion of D'Angelo's fan base. An extremely collaborative album, it was recorded at the same time as Erykah Badu's "Mama's Gun" and Common's "Like Water for Chocolate" and involved much of the same personnel, some of whom -- including D'Angelo, Badu, Common, ?uestlove, J Dilla, Q-Tip, and James Poyser --were dubbed the Soulquarians. The extremely Prince-like lead single, "Untitled (How Does It Feel)," was a smash on the R&B charts and won a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal; likewise, Voodoo won for Best R&B Album. Reviews of "Voodoo" were once again highly positive, although a few critics objected to the looser, more atmospheric, more jam-oriented feel of the record, preferring the tighter songcraft of "Brown Sugar."

Throughout the remainder of the 2000s, D'Angelo made only a handful of recorded guest appearances. Most notably, he took part in a version of Fela Kuti's "Water No Get Enemy," recorded for the "Red Hot + Riot" compilation. Raphael Saadiq's "Be Here" and Snoop Dogg's "Imagine" were events by virtue of the artist's mere presence, while two versions of the Dilla production "So Far to Go" -- first heard on Dilla's posthumous "The Shining," then reworked for Common's "Finding Forever" -- also reunited him with past Soulquarian partners. D'Angelo's sporadic creative activity, combined with publicized personal troubles, bordered on tragic. His third album, said to be titled "James River," was originally due in 2009 but did not materialize. In late 2014, his next full-length was finally announced, "Black Messiah."

D'Angelo Videos

  • D'Angelo - Untitled (How Does It Feel) - YouTube
  • D'Angelo (2014 RBMA Lecture) - YouTube

FAQs on booking D'Angelo

  • How do I book D'Angelo to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like D'Angelo for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for D'Angelo, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for D'Angelo or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for D'Angelo

    Speaking fees for D'Angelo, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book D'Angelo are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire D'Angelo, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does D'Angelo speak about?

    D'Angelo is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Music, Speakers by Industry.
  • Where does D'Angelo travel from?

    D'Angelo generally travels from an undisclosed location, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is D'Angelo’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like D'Angelo for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book D'Angelo for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host D'Angelo or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

D'Angelo is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book D'Angelo for your event is available upon request. D'Angelo generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Thirdstory, Anthony David, Eric Bellinger, Angie Stone and Kelly Price. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling D'Angelo for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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