Born and Raised:

Real name: Michael Eugene Archer.
Born: Feb. 11, 1974 in Richmond, Virginia. Raised in Virginia.

Early Life:

The man who would become known to the world as R&B/Soul singer D'Angelo was born into a devoutly religious family. His father was a Pentecostal minister and the other members of the family -- including his mother, who was a legal secretary, and his older brother Luther -- were parishioners.

Luther says he discovered his younger brother's talented for music when D'Angelo, who was 3 at the time, began playing the piano in the family's home. He later went on to perform in church. Through his early life and teens, he continued to hone his musical talents, learning to play multiple instruments, including the organ, guitar and drums, in addition to honing his vocal talents.

Career Success:

While in his late teens he began circulating his demo tape, and was signed by EMI Records in 1991. At first he wrote songs for other artists, then began work on his first solo album. His debut release, the neo-Soul classic Brown Sugar, was released in June 2005 and eventually generated three successful Soulful singles, the title track, plus a remake of the Smokey Robinson classic "Crusin'" and "Lady." All were top 10 hits on the Billboard R&B singles chart and the album they appeared on eventually went on to sell over a million copies in the U.S. alone. He had another hit in 1998 with the hip-hop/Soul song "Devil's Pie," which appeared on the soundtrack to the film Belly.

Long Hiatus:

Instead of rushing out another album after the success of Brown Sugar, it would be five years before D'Angelo's sophomore release, Voodoo, would see the light of day in 2000.Voodoo only managed to generate one top 10 single, "Untitled (How Does it Feel)." The risque video for the song featured a nude D'Angelo singing directly into the camera while shown only from the waist up. After a tour and promotional appearances in support of Voodoo throughout 2000, D'Angelo went on a lengthy hiatus, with his few musical appearances during this time coming on songs on the albums of other artists, including rappers Snoop Dogg, Q-Tip and Common. In 2012, he made his return to live performing via a co-headlining tour with Mary J. Blige. His third studio album is currently scheduled for late 2012 release.

Legal Woes:

March 6, 2010: D'Angelo was arrested after soliciting oral sex from a female undercover police officer in the West Village of Manhattan in New York City. He pled guilty in March 2011.
Jan. 12, 2005: He was arrested on charges of drunk driving and possession of cocaine and marijuana near his hometown of Richmond, Virginia.
Nov. 18, 2002: D'Angelo was arrested on misdemeanor charges of assault, resisting arrest and reckless driving after police went to his home in Richmond, Virginia to question him about a driving incident he had with a woman in another car. He was taken into custody after refusing to cooperate.
April 2002: He was charged with reckless driving and driving with a suspended Virginia's driver's license after being pulled over in New York.

Discography:

2000: Voodoo.
1998: Live at the Jazz Cafe.
1995: Brown Sugar.

Awards Won:

2001: Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, for "Untitled (How Does it Feel)."
2001: Grammy for Best R&B Album, for Voodoo.

Notable Quote:

"Any person who's dealt with substance abuse, it's an ongoing thing. That's the mantra -— one day at a time—right? So you're going to have good days and bad days, but for the most part, I have a grip on it." -- D'Angelo in the June 2012 issue of GQ magazine regarding his drug problem and stints in rehab.