The singer, songwriter and producer’s 2000 album was the result of years in the studio listening to inspiring music, jamming and rediscovering his artistic purpose.

Shortly before his death, D’Angelo had just celebrated the 30th anniversary of his seminal 1995 debut album, Brown Sugar, which was released to critical acclaim in July of 1995.

D’Angelo released only three studio albums in a career that spanned 30 years, and yet he will go down as one of the great musicians of his or any era, a man whose art had the power to make and move whole worlds.

WASHINGTON — R&B singer, songwriter and producer D’Angelo, has died at 51 after a "prolonged" battle with cancer, his family announced on Tuesday.

D’Angelo brought his unique sound to the music world with his 1995 debut album, “Brown Sugar ," which included hit songs like “Lady” and “Cruisin.” In 2000, he won his first Grammy for the song “Untitled (How Does It Feel)” from his album “Voodoo ." He would go on to win three more Grammy awards during his influential career.

Neo-soul pioneer D’Angelo, best known for hits like Untitled (How Does It Feel) and Brown Sugar, has died after a private battle with cancer. He was 51.

One of the innovators of what was called neo-soul, D’Angelo’s influence was far greater than you might expect from someone who only released three studio albums.

Tributes continue to pour in for Grammy-winning R&B artist D’Angelo, who passed away after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, as revealed by his family.