Honoring the life and legacy of the acclaimed musician, D'Angelo, who chose his truth over any accolades or accomplishments, therefore achieving a success that leaves him with few peers.

Honoring the life and legacy of the acclaimed musician, D’Angelo, who chose his truth over any accolades or accomplishments, therefore achieving a success that leaves him with few peers. WHEREAS, Michael Eugene Archer, known professionally as D’Angelo, was born on February 11, 1974, in Richmond, Virginia, to parents Mariann Smith and Luther Archer Sr. His father and grandfather served as Pentecostal preachers, grounding him in the musical traditions of the church; and WHEREAS, From a very young age D’Angelo exhibited remarkable musical gifts, reportedly playing piano by ear at age three in his family home and accompanying his father in church services by age five; and WHEREAS, He was raised in Richmond, Virginia, immersed in both gospel and secular influences, and by his teenage years had formed a musical group in Richmond and participated in Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York, where he won three consecutive nights; and WHEREAS, He stood at the crossroads between spiritual and secular music that so many Black artists confront, and, critically, chose both after being instructed by his grandmother, Alberta Cox, to play the music in his heart; and WHEREAS, With her blessing ringing in his ears, he relocated to New York City in pursuit of his musical aspirations, writing, performing, and working with collaborators in search of the next movement in Black music; and WHEREAS, D’Angelo’s recording career spanned more than three decades, during which he released l…