What is D'Angelo's Net Worth?
D'Angelo is an American musician and producer who has a net worth of $1 million. D'Angelo, also known as Michael Eugene Archer, began playing the piano when he was three years old. In the early 90s, he caught the attention of executives at EMI Records and released his solo debut album, "Brown Sugar," in 1995. The album achieved Platinum status and spawned a Top 10 hit, "Lady". He then took some time off, and it was not until 2000 that he released his follow-up album, "Voodoo." "Voodoo" was massively successful, and he embarked on a now-legendary world tour with a show that included musicians, dancers, acrobats, and full production. "Voodoo" netted him two Grammy Awards, as well.
Early Life
D'Angelo was born on February 11, 1974 in Richmond, Virginia. His parents named him Michael Eugene Archer. His father was a Pentecostal preacher, and D'Angelo was raised in a Pentecostal home. D'Angelo clearly had musical talents from a young age, beginning to play the piano at the age of three. By the time he was a teenager, he had formed the band Michael Archer and Precise, which performed around Richmond. They also competed in the Amateur Night competition at the Apollo Theater in New York City in 1991. He also produced and rapped in the group Intelligent, Deadly but Unique, or I.D.U.
At the age of 18, D'Angelo dropped out of school and moved to New York City in order to develop his music career.
Career
D'Angelo was signed to a recording contract with EMI Music in 1993 after he auditioned for Gary Harris, the head of A&R. His first significant success came with the single "U Will Know" in 1994. He had co-written and co-produced the song for the all-male R&B supergroup Black Men United, which featured Brian McKnight, Usher, R. Kelly, Boyz II Men, Gerald Levert, and Raphael Saadiq. The song was featured on the soundtrack to the film "Jason's Lyric" in 1994 and later peaked at number five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks and in the 28th spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The music video for the track featured D'Angelo as the group's choir director. The success of the track helped build buzz around D'Angelo, especially among music industry insiders.
D'Angelo was also working on his own music during this time. He released his debut album, "Brown Sugar," in July of 1995. Sales were initially sluggish, but the album eventually became a hit. It debuted at number six on the Billboard Top R&B Albums chart and peaked at number four, spending a total of 54 weeks on the chart. It featured four singles, including "Lady," "Brown Sugar," and "Cruisin." In 1996, the Recording Industry Association of America certified the album as platinum.
After releasing "Brown Sugar," D'Angelo took a four and a half year absence from working on his music. After touring for two years with the album, he found himself suffering from writer's block. During this period of time, he released cover versions and remakes of popular songs. He worked on a cover collaboration with Erykah Badu of the Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell song "Your Precious Love." He also covered Prince's "She Always in My Hair" for the "Scream 2" soundtrack. He also was featured on the duet "Nothing Even Matters" on Lauryn Hill's debut solo album, "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill."
Getty
Following his hiatus, D'Angelo released his next album, "Voodoo," in 2000. The album received rave reviews from music critics, some of whom called it a masterpiece. It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. In 2001, the album won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Album at the 43rd Grammy Awards. The song "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" became the album's biggest success. The accompanying music video featured D'Angelo and elevated his status as a sex symbol. The video earned three nominations for the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards.
However, D'Angelo was uncomfortable with his status as a sex symbol. After touring with "Voodoo," he returned home to Richmond and disappeared from the public eye. His subsequent solo work was substantially delayed, though he did continue collaborating with other artists like J Dilla, Snoop Dogg, and Common. He did release a compilation CD/DVD in 2008 which featured songs from his previous albums as well as unreleased tracks and rarities.
In 2014, D'Angelo released his third studio album, "Black Messiah." The album was universally well-received and achieved a 95/100 score on Metacritic. The album won two awards at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. He then embarked on a tour throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. He worked on a number of other music projects over the next few years, including contributing to the soundtrack to "Red Dead Redemption 2" in 2018. In 2021, he performed at the Tribeca Film Festival for "The Songs of Red Dead Redemption."
Personal Life
In the 1990s, D'Angelo dated soul singer Angie Stone. She was the inspiration and muse for his "Brown Sugar" album. He also helped her produce her debut album, "Black Diamond," which was released in 1999. The couple had a son together in 1998 whom they named Michael D'Angelo Archer II. D'Angelo has since had two more children – a daughter named Imani in 1999 and a son named Morocco in 2010.
D'Angela went through a tough period during the early 2000s. He developed a drug and alcohol problem, and in January 2005, he was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and cocaine. His girlfriend left him around this time, and he continued having some issues in his personal life. However, he cleaned up his act in the next few years and returned to the spotlight in 2014.
