And now, her daughter, Diamond, as well as Angie’s representative, Deborah R. Champagne, have confirmed this gut-wrenching news.

In a social media post, Diamond expressed her immense grief with the statement, “My mommy is gone,” followed by many crying face emojis.

In a statement to TMZ, Deborah confirmed the heartbreaking news, stating that friends and family are devastated by her sudden passing. ​

Born Angela Laverne Brown on December 18, 1961, in Columbia, South Carolina, Angie Stone’s illustrious career spanned over four decades. She first gained prominence in the late 1970s as a member of The Sequence, one of the pioneering all-female hip-hop trios. The group was best known for their hit single “Funk You Up,” which has been sampled by numerous artists over the years. ​

Transitioning to a solo career in the late 1990s, Stone released her debut album “Black Diamond” in 1999, which achieved Gold certification. Her 2001 album, “Mahogany Soul,” featured the standout track “Wish I Didn’t Miss You,” solidifying her status in the neo-soul movement alongside artists like Erykah Badu and Maxwell. ​

Stone’s personal life was as dynamic as her professional one. She had two children: a daughter, Diamond, from her marriage to Rodney Stone of the hip-hop group Funky Four Plus One, and a son, Michael D’Angelo Archer II, born in 1998 during her relationship with R&B singer D’Angelo.
​

In a poignant twist of fate, Stone’s passing occurred just a day after her son Michael, known in the music industry as Swayvo Twain, celebrated his birthday. On February 28, 2025, Swayvo shared several celebratory videos and photos from his night of b-day celebration, not knowing that just a few hours later his beloved mother’s life would sadly come to an end. He was extremely close to his mom, oftentimes posting photos of them together online.

And as we’d previously reported, Angie was beyond proud to witness Swayvo Twain following in his parents’ musical footsteps, as well as how he’d been carving out his own path in the industry.

Stone’s influence extended beyond music; she ventured into acting with roles in films like “The Hot Chick” and “The Fighting Temptations.” Her contributions to the entertainment industry have left an indelible mark, inspiring
countless artists and fans alike.

As the news of her passing spread, tributes poured in from fans, fellow musicians, and industry colleagues, all honoring her legacy and the profound impact she had on the world of music. Her soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics resonated with audiences worldwide, making her a beloved figure in R&B and soul music.​

Angie Stone’s sudden departure is a significant loss to the music community. Her legacy, however, will continue to live on through her timeless music and the artists she inspired. As we reflect on her life and career, we remember a woman whose talent and passion touched the hearts of many. May our beloved Angie Stone rest in eternal peace. 👑🙏🏽

The post R.I.P. Angie Stone Dies Suddenly, Day After Her (& D’Angelo’s) Son’s B-day, Daughter Confirms appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

The post D’Angelo’s & Angie Stone’s Son Tells Why He Hates Being A “Celebrity Kid” & Is Following Their Paths appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

We’ve all heard the stories about D’Angelo’s alcohol and drug addiction, but never knew what actually sparked his struggles. The late EMI Records A&R who discovered D’Angelo, Gary Harris; and D’Angelo’s ex manager, Dominique Trenier, did an interview with Spin Magazine some years ago. In it, they detailed the personal battles they tried to help D’Angelo overcome.

The Tragedy

According to Trenier and Harris, it was the suicide of his close friend who was reportedly a former MTV affiliate, that first caused D’Angelo to become an alcoholic to numb his pain. Then he progressed to harder drug addiction.

D’Angelo Downward Spiral

During his hiatus, D’Angelo- the dude who had women screaming over his unclothed chiseled body in his 2001 video- shocked the world when a much heavier and disheveled version of himself appeared in 2005 a mugshot. He’d been arrested in Richmond, VA, for cocaine/marijuana possession and driving under the influence.

“After, there was a really not-flattering mug shot that came out,” says Trenier. … “I was like, ‘Nah, this cannot be my man.’ I borrowed a tour bus and picked him up in Richmond.”

By that time, D’Angelo’s girlfriend had left him and many of his loved ones pushed away from him, due to his reckless behaviors. D’Angelo also publicly admitted his drug/alcohol addictions in 2014:

Via GQ Magazine: [D’Angelo] liked cocaine, he says, “because I could be a bit of an antisocial. It made me really open up and talk.” But the problem with doing coke, he says, is “you can drink like a fish and it don’t bother you. It was good in the beginning, but it got out of hand.” For the first time, he says, “people started to go, ‘Yo, man, you’ve got to get it together.’ “

What Happened During D’Angelo’s THREE Rehab Interventions

After D’Angelo’s manager picked him up in Richmond, VA following his arrest, he drove the singer all the way to a rehab center in Pasadena, CA, because he didn’t want D’Angelo to be seen in the airport. By that time, D’Angelo had already been to one rehab and failed horribly, admitting to GQ that after he got out, “I went straight to the fu*king liquor store.” This second rehab also failed.

After another friend, producer J. Dilla, passed away, D’Angelo finally decided to take his third trip to rehab seriously. That’s when Gary Harris helped him, but even that was a struggle. Harris detailed the defiance D’Angelo put up on the day he went to D’s plush Virginia home to take him to singer, Eric Clapton’s, Crossroads Treatment Centre on the Caribbean island of Antigua.

Via Spin: “There was scotch, vodka, beer,” Harris recalls. “While I was waiting for him, he emptied the contents out of the corners of three or four bottles to get a shot.” “He was trying to act like he didn’t know I was coming that day,” Harris says. … According to Harris, it took more than five hours to corral D’Angelo into the limo. Then the real journey began. Four days after hooking up with him, Harris had only gotten…D’Angelo as far as Puerto Rico, delayed by missed flights, a forgotten passport, and the singer’s insistence on emptying every hotel minibar he came across.

Harris finally got fed up and that’s when D’Angelo broke down:

“I told him he can do whatever he wants, but I’m getting on a plane,” Harris says. “D’Angelo broke down and cried,” and then agreed to go to Crossroads. The night he arrived, Harris says, “he called everyone he knew to send him a ticket to get him out of Antigua.” D’Angelo wasn’t in denial about his alcohol problem, Harris explains. “He just wasn’t prepared to deal with it.” -via Spin

Emotional Call From Roots Legend, Questlove, That Helped Save D’s Life

Thankfully, D’Angelo has now gotten himself together. It helped when in 2010, his friend/Roots drummer had a real talk with him to make him, following the death of singer, Amy Winehouse.

Quest told D that if he would’ve gotten a call that he had died from an overdose, it would have destroyed him. He also told D’Angelo, that’s why he’d been staying away from him for so many years. “That was probably the most emotional man-to-man talk that D and I had ever had” Questlove said. We’re just glad they had it.

By the way, these days D’Angelo has bounced back and is back on his grind. If you missed his fire “Verzuz” performance a while back, check it out up top…the brotha’s still got it. Wishing D’Angelo all the best on his journey.

The post Friends Detail Tragedy That Caused D’Angelo’s Past Addiction & Their Push To Get Him In Rehab appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Even in the ever-demanding age of social media and camera phones, Michael Archer a.k.a. D’Angelo has found a way to maintain a Prince-esque type of obscurity. Little is known about his private life, except for his past relationship with singer, Angie Stone, and their adult son; and D’Angelo’s brief run-in with the law a while back, but none of that is was initially made public by him, those little fun facts always came from external sources first. For the most part, D’Angelo’s life is a rarely-seen. D’Angelo’s very proud and doesn’t hide his now-grown daughter, but he just doesn’t display her either, and rightfully so. But she, on the other hand, seems to put her Pops on public display every now and then, like any proud child would. See recent pics of her below…

D’ANGELO’S LITTLE GIRL HAS GROWN INTO A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY

The above photo is a throwback…but D’Angelo’s precious little girl looks TOTALLY different now.

MEET D’ANGELO’S 23-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, IMANI

This is D’Angelo’s pretty daughter, Imani, who is clearly his mini-me. She’s 23-years-old, and seems to be a typical young adult- she loves hangin’ with her friends; unlike her father, she loves sharing bits her life and her opinions on social media; and she loves taking selfies. But then, there is her creative side – Imani can SANG and is a gifted musician as well.

THROWBACK FATHER-DAUGHTER MOMENTS

Below are a few throwback photos of Imani spending some quality time with her pops, D’Angelo…these are the type of Black father-daughter moments the world needs to see more of, in my humble opinion.
Imani’s throwback Father’s day post…

D’Angelo chillin’ with daughter, Imani, backstage…

IMANI’S VOICE IS BEAUTIFUL…MUST SEE

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Imani Archer (@imaniarcher)

When it comes to vocals and overall musical abilities in D’Angelo’s offspring, this apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Imani’s voice is so bomb..and ol’ girl can even play the ukelele. Check out the video up top and let us know what you think. Get it Imani!

MEET IMANI’S FORMER-MODEL MOM

Imani’s mom is a former model named Marcia Daly. D’Angelo and Marcia were apparently in a relationship during the height of the “Brown Sugar” crooner’s career. It’s unclear where they stand today with each other, but it’s apparent that they both love their daughter equally as much, and are very supportive of all her endeavors. Wishing Imani Archer much success going forward.

The post D’Angelo’s Rarely-Seen 23-Year-Old Daughter Is Gorgeous…And Sings Just Like Her Pops appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

For those of us who may not be up on the relationship history of D’Angelo and Angie Stone, let us first catch you up to speed: They dated for four years, while Angie was at the height of her career and D’Angelo was just starting to make us bob our heads to “Brown Sugar” in the mid-’90s. Angie is 13 years older than her “How Does It Feel” ex…but for them, age wasn’t nothin’ but a number. D’Angelo was legal and that’s all that matters.

They were seriously in love, but due to ignorant music industry politics, most of the public was not aware that Angie and D’Angelo were an item, let alone were a madly in love couple who had just had a baby boy together in 1998.

Why is that you ask? Well because whomever was calling the shots at D’Angelo’s label, or in his camp at that time, wouldn’t allow him to have his woman on his arm in public, for fear that it would ruin his sex symbol image. And we also can’t overlook the elephant in the room — that our girl, Angie, is a very beautiful woman, but she didn’t fit the ‘trophy girlfriend’ stereotype that these stereotypical industry execs expect to see on their star singer’s arm, and that’s really foul.

Meet Michael Archer Jr., Son Of D’Angelo & Angie Stone

******

Okay, now that we’ve given that quick history on D’Angelo and Angie, y’all have GOTS to check out their son now. He’s named after his father and his name is Michael Archer Jr. He is now a 24-year-old rap artist, who goes by the stage name, Swayvo Twain.

Watch Son Spit Bars With Angie Stone

It also looks like Jr. is taller than both of his parents now. Watch the video clip below to check out Angie Stone rapping a few bars with her son and her former Sequence group member…this is CLASSIC…

Angie Stone Gives More Details About Relationship With D’Angelo

As far as Angie’s and D’Angelo’s relationship, Angie said that D’Angelo’s self esteem wasn’t very high when they were together, but she says she helped him with that. See what other details Angie revealed about their relationship…

This is what Angie revealed, to Essence Magazine, about why she and D’Angelo’s relationship didn’t withstand the ups and downs:

“When I was dating him [D’Angelo], he wore glasses, had short hair, and his pants were hanging down to his butt. He was just a 19-year-old kid with big shorts and nobody cared and no one saw his beauty but me. And I told him, you are beautiful. I promise you when your record drops your lips are gonna become famous, your eyes – everything will become famous. She then went on to say: He couldn’t see it because his self-esteem wasn’t where it is today. He didn’t even have an image and his hair was really short so I braided his hair with thread for his first album cover. It wasn’t until Brown Sugar came out that people actually took a good look at him and said, ‘You know what? He’s fine.’ Then all of a sudden, he’s so fine he shouldn’t be with me.”

Angie also said that they were so in sync with each other that they began to act alike:

“When you’re with someone you become them, we started to become each other and pick up each other’s musical habits. So where he was in his life as an individual had a lot to do with how he expressed those songs. Angie had nothing bad to say about D’™Angelo, in closing she says, To set the record straight, D’Angelo is a genius and he doesn’t need Angie or anybody to make him who he is. What people need to know is that we were in love with each other so my presence, my spirit, my gift, all of that flowed into our relationship.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Angie Stone (@angiebstone)

The post Son Of Angie Stone And D’Angelo Is A Grown Man Now, Following In Their Musical Footsteps appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Even in the ever-demanding age of social media and camera phones, Michael Archer a.k.a. D’Angelo has found a way to maintain a Prince-esque type of obscurity. Little is known about his private life, except for his past relationship with singer, Angie Stone, and their adult son; and D’Angelo’s brief run-in with the law a while back, but none of that is was initially made public by him, those little fun facts always came from external sources first. For the most part, D’Angelo’s life is a rarely-seen. D’Angelo’s very proud and doesn’t hide his now-grown daughter, but he just doesn’t display her either, and rightfully so. But she, on the other hand, seems to put her Pops on public display every now and then, like any proud child would. See recent pics of her below…

D’ANGELO’S LITTLE GIRL HAS GROWN INTO A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY

The above photo is a throwback…but D’Angelo’s precious little girl looks TOTALLY different now.

MEET D’ANGELO’S 21 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, IMANI

This is D’Angelo’s pretty daughter, Imani, who is clearly his mini-me. She’s 21-years-old, and seems to be a typical young adult- she loves hangin’ with her friends; unlike her father, she loves sharing bits her life and her opinions on social media; and she loves taking selfies. But then, there is her creative side – Imani can SANG and is a gifted musician as well.

THROWBACK FATHER-DAUGHTER MOMENTS

Below are a few throwback photos of Imani spending some quality time with her pops, D’Angelo…these are the type of Black father-daughter moments the world needs to see more of, in my humble opinion.
Imani’s throwback Father’s day post…

D’Angelo chillin’ with daughter, Imani, backstage…

IMANI’S VOICE IS BEAUTIFUL…MUST SEE

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by IMANI ARCHER (@imaniarcher)

When it comes to vocals and overall musical abilities in D’Angelo’s offspring, this apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Imani’s voice is so bomb..and ol’ girl can even play the ukelele. Check out the video up top and let us know what you think. Get it Imani!

MEET IMANI’S FORMER-MODEL MOM

Imani’s mom is a former model named Marcia Daly. D’Angelo and Marcia were apparently in a relationship during the height of the “Brown Sugar” crooner’s career. It’s unclear where they stand today with each other, but it’s apparent that they both love their daughter equally as much, and are very supportive of all her endeavors. Wishing Imani Archer much success going forward.

The post D’Angelo’s Rarely-Seen Adult Daughter Is Gorgeous…And Sings Just Like Her Pops appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

We’ve all heard the stories about D’Angelo’s alcohol and drug addiction, but never knew what actually sparked his struggles. The late EMI Records A&R who discovered D’Angelo, Gary Harris; and D’Angelo’s ex manager, Dominique Trenier, did an interview with Spin Magazine some years ago. In it, they detailed the personal battles they tried to help D’Angelo overcome.

The Tragedy

According to Trenier and Harris, it was the suicide of his close friend who was reportedly a former MTV affiliate, that first caused D’Angelo to become an alcoholic to numb his pain. Then he progressed to harder drug addiction.

D’Angelo Downward Spiral

During his hiatus, D’Angelo- the dude who had women screaming over his unclothed chiseled body in his 2001 video- shocked the world when a much heavier and disheveled version of himself appeared in 2005 a mugshot. He’d been arrested in Richmond, VA, for cocaine/marijuana possession and driving under the influence.

“After, there was a really not-flattering mug shot that came out,” says Trenier. … “I was like, ‘Nah, this cannot be my man.’ I borrowed a tour bus and picked him up in Richmond.”

By that time, D’Angelo’s girlfriend had left him and many of his loved ones pushed away from him, due to his reckless behaviors. D’Angelo also publicly admitted his drug/alcohol addictions in 2014:

Via GQ Magazine: [D’Angelo] liked cocaine, he says, “because I could be a bit of an antisocial. It made me really open up and talk.” But the problem with doing coke, he says, is “you can drink like a fish and it don’t bother you. It was good in the beginning, but it got out of hand.” For the first time, he says, “people started to go, ‘Yo, man, you’ve got to get it together.’ “

What Happened During D’Angelo’s THREE Rehab Interventions

After D’Angelo’s manager picked him up in Richmond, VA following his arrest, he drove the singer all the way to a rehab center in Pasadena, CA, because he didn’t want D’Angelo to be seen in the airport. By that time, D’Angelo had already been to one rehab and failed horribly, admitting to GQ that after he got out, “I went straight to the fu*king liquor store.” This second rehab also failed.

After another friend, producer J. Dilla, passed away, D’Angelo finally decided to take his third trip to rehab seriously. That’s when Gary Harris helped him, but even that was a struggle. Harris detailed the defiance D’Angelo put up on the day he went to D’s plush Virginia home to take him to singer, Eric Clapton’s, Crossroads Treatment Centre on the Caribbean island of Antigua.

Via Spin: “There was scotch, vodka, beer,” Harris recalls. “While I was waiting for him, he emptied the contents out of the corners of three or four bottles to get a shot.” “He was trying to act like he didn’t know I was coming that day,” Harris says. … According to Harris, it took more than five hours to corral D’Angelo into the limo. Then the real journey began. Four days after hooking up with him, Harris had only gotten…D’Angelo as far as Puerto Rico, delayed by missed flights, a forgotten passport, and the singer’s insistence on emptying every hotel minibar he came across.

Harris finally got fed up and that’s when D’Angelo broke down:

“I told him he can do whatever he wants, but I’m getting on a plane,” Harris says. “D’Angelo broke down and cried,” and then agreed to go to Crossroads. The night he arrived, Harris says, “he called everyone he knew to send him a ticket to get him out of Antigua.” D’Angelo wasn’t in denial about his alcohol problem, Harris explains. “He just wasn’t prepared to deal with it.” -via Spin

Emotional Call From Questlove That Helped Save D’s Life

Thankfully, D’Angelo has now gotten himself together. It helped when in 2010, his friend/Roots drummer had a real talk with him to make him, following the death of singer, Amy Winehouse.

Embed from Getty Images

Quest told D that if he would’ve gotten a call that he had died from an overdose, it would have destroyed him. He also told D’Angelo, that’s why he’d been staying away from him for so many years. “That was probably the most emotional man-to-man talk that D and I had ever had” Questlove said. We’re just glad they had it.

By the way, these days D’Angelo has bounced back and is back on his grind. If you missed his fire “Verzuz” performance in February 2021, check it out up top…the brotha’s still got it. Wishing D’Angelo all the best on his journey.

The post Friends Exposed Tragedy That Caused D’Angelo’s Addiction And Their Fight To Get Him In Rehab appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Even in the ever-demanding age of social media and camera phones, Michael Archer a.k.a. D’Angelo has found a way to maintain a Prince-esque type of obscurity. Little is known about his private life, except for his past relationship with singer, Angie Stone, and their adult son; and D’Angelo’s brief run-in with the law a while back, but none of that is was initially made public by him, those little fun facts always came from external sources first. For the most part, D’Angelo’s life is a rarely-seen. D’Angelo’s very proud and doesn’t hide his now-grown daughter, but he just doesn’t display her either, and rightfully so. But she, on the other hand, seems to put her Pops on public display every now and then, like any proud child would. See recent pics of her below…

D’ANGELO’S LITTLE GIRL HAS GROWN INTO A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY

The above photo is a throwback…but D’Angelo’s precious little girl looks TOTALLY different now.

MEET D’ANGELO’S 21 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER, IMANI

This is D’Angelo’s pretty daughter, Imani, who is clearly his mini-me. She’s 21-years-old, and seems to be a typical young adult- she loves hangin’ with her friends; unlike her father, she loves sharing bits her life and her opinions on social media; and she loves taking selfies. But then, there is her creative side – Imani can SANG and is a gifted musician as well.

THROWBACK FATHER-DAUGHTER MOMENTS

Below are a few throwback photos of Imani spending some quality time with her pops, D’Angelo…these are the type of Black father-daughter moments the world needs to see more of, in my humble opinion.
Imani’s throwback Father’s day post…

D’Angelo chillin’ with daughter, Imani, backstage…

IMANI’S VOICE IS BEAUTIFUL…MUST SEE

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by IMANI ARCHER (@imaniarcher)

When it comes to vocals and overall musical abilities in D’Angelo’s offspring, this apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Imani’s voice is so bomb..and ol’ girl can even play the ukelele. Check out the video up top and let us know what you think. Get it Imani!

MEET IMANI’S FORMER-MODEL MOM

Imani’s mom is a former model named Marcia Daly. D’Angelo and Marcia were apparently in a relationship during the height of the “Brown Sugar” crooner’s career. It’s unclear where they stand today with each other, but it’s apparent that they both love their daughter equally as much, and are very supportive of all her endeavors. Wishing Imani Archer much success going forward.

The post D’Angelo’s Rarely-Seen Adult Daughter Is Gorgeous…And Sings Exactly Like Her Pops appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

For those of us who may not be up on the relationship history of D’Angelo and Angie Stone, let us first catch you up to speed: They dated for four years, while Angie was at the height of her career and D’Angelo was just starting to make us bob our heads to “Brown Sugar” in the mid-’90s. Angie is 13 years older than her “How Does It Feel” ex…but for them, age wasn’t nothin’ but a number. D’Angelo was legal and that’s all that matters.

They were seriously in love, but due to ignorant music industry politics, most of the public was not aware that Angie and D’Angelo were an item, let alone were a madly in love couple who had just had a baby boy together in 1998.

Why is that you ask? Well because whomever was calling the shots at D’Angelo’s label, or in his camp at that time, wouldn’t allow him to have his woman on his arm in public, for fear that it would ruin his sex symbol image. And we also can’t overlook the elephant in the room- that our girl, Angie, is a very beautiful woman, but she didn’t fit the ‘trophy girlfriend’ stereotype that these stereotypical industry execs expect to see on their star singer’s arm, and that’s really foul.

Meet Michael Archer Jr., Son Of D’Angelo & Angie Stone

******

Okay, now that we’ve given that quick history on D’Angelo and Angie, y’all have GOTS to check out their son now. He’s named after his father and his name is Michael Archer Jr. He is now a 23 year old rap artist, who goes by the stage name, Swayvo Twain.

Watch Son Spit Bars With Angie Stone

It also looks like Jr. is taller than both of his parents now. Watch the video clip below to check out Angie Stone rapping a few bars with her son and her former Sequence group member…this is CLASSIC…

Angie Stone Gives More Details About Relationship With D’Angelo

As far as Angie’s and D’Angelo’s relationship, Angie said that D’Angelo’s self esteem wasn’t very high when they were together, but she says she helped him with that. See what other details Angie revealed about their relationship…

This is what Angie revealed, to Essence Magazine, about why she and D’Angelo’s relationship didn’t withstand the ups and downs:

“When I was dating him [D’Angelo], he wore glasses, had short hair, and his pants were hanging down to his butt. He was just a 19-year-old kid with big shorts and nobody cared and no one saw his beauty but me. And I told him, you are beautiful. I promise you when your record drops your lips are gonna become famous, your eyes – everything will become famous. She then went on to say: He couldn’t see it because his self-esteem wasn’™t where it is today. He didn’t even have an image and his hair was really short so I braided his hair with thread for his first album cover. It wasn’t until Brown Sugar came out that people actually took a good look at him and said, ‘You know what? He’s fine.’ Then all of a sudden, he’s so fine he shouldn’t be with me.”

Angie also said that they were so in sync with each other that they began to act alike:

“When you’re with someone you become them, we started to become each other and pick up each other’s musical habits. So where he was in his life as an individual had a lot to do with how he expressed those songs. Angie had nothing bad to say about D’™Angelo, in closing she says, To set the record straight, D’Angelo is a genius and he doesn’t need Angie or anybody to make him who he is. What people need to know is that we were in love with each other so my presence, my spirit, my gift, all of that flowed into our relationship.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bebl91dlaTT/

The good thing is that Angie and D’Angelo are still cool as ever. Years later, they even performed together, as seen in the above shot of them on stage in Australia, holding hands. Gotta love successful co-parenting!

The post Son Of Angie Stone And D’Angelo Is A Grown Man Now, Following In Their Paths appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

We’ve all heard the stories about D’Angelo’s alcohol and drug addiction, but never knew what actually sparked his struggles. The late EMI Records A&R who discovered D’Angelo, Gary Harris; and D’Angelo’s ex manager, Dominique Trenier, did an interview with Spin Magazine some years ago. In it, they detailed the personal battles they tried to help D’Angelo overcome.

The Tragedy

According to Trenier and Harris, it was the suicide of his close friend who was reportedly a former MTV affiliate, that first caused D’Angelo to become an alcoholic to numb his pain. Then he progressed to harder drug addiction.

D’Angelo Downward Spiral

During his hiatus, D’Angelo- the dude who had women screaming over his unclothed chiseled body in his 2001 video- shocked the world when a much heavier and disheveled version of himself appeared in 2005 a mugshot. He’d been arrested in Richmond, VA, for cocaine/marijuana possession and driving under the influence.

“After, there was a really not-flattering mug shot that came out,” says Trenier. … “I was like, ‘Nah, this cannot be my man.’ I borrowed a tour bus and picked him up in Richmond.”

By that time, D’Angelo’s girlfriend had left him and many of his loved ones pushed away from him, due to his reckless behaviors. D’Angelo also publicly admitted his drug/alcohol addictions in 2014:

Via GQ Magazine: [D’Angelo] liked cocaine, he says, “because I could be a bit of an antisocial. It made me really open up and talk.” But the problem with doing coke, he says, is “you can drink like a fish and it don’t bother you. It was good in the beginning, but it got out of hand.” For the first time, he says, “people started to go, ‘Yo, man, you’ve got to get it together.’ “

What Happened During D’Angelo’s THREE Rehab Interventions

After D’Angelo’s manager picked him up in Richmond, VA following his arrest, he drove the singer all the way to a rehab center in Pasadena, CA, because he didn’t want D’Angelo to be seen in the airport. By that time, D’Angelo had already been to one rehab and failed horribly, admitting to GQ that after he got out, “I went straight to the fu*king liquor store.” This second rehab also failed.

After another friend, producer J. Dilla, passed away, D’Angelo finally decided to take his third trip to rehab seriously. That’s when Gary Harris helped him, but even that was a struggle. Harris detailed the defiance D’Angelo put up on the day he went to D’s plush Virginia home to take him to singer, Eric Clapton’s, Crossroads Treatment Centre on the Caribbean island of Antigua.

Via Spin: “There was scotch, vodka, beer,” Harris recalls. “While I was waiting for him, he emptied the contents out of the corners of three or four bottles to get a shot.” “He was trying to act like he didn’t know I was coming that day,” Harris says. … According to Harris, it took more than five hours to corral D’Angelo into the limo. Then the real journey began. Four days after hooking up with him, Harris had only gotten…D’Angelo as far as Puerto Rico, delayed by missed flights, a forgotten passport, and the singer’s insistence on emptying every hotel minibar he came across.

Harris finally got fed up and that’s when D’Angelo broke down:

“I told him he can do whatever he wants, but I’m getting on a plane,” Harris says. “D’Angelo broke down and cried,” and then agreed to go to Crossroads. The night he arrived, Harris says, “he called everyone he knew to send him a ticket to get him out of Antigua.” D’Angelo wasn’t in denial about his alcohol problem, Harris explains. “He just wasn’t prepared to deal with it.” -via Spin

Emotional Call From Questlove That Helped Save D’s Life

Thankfully, D’Angelo has now gotten himself together. It helped when in 2010, his friend/Roots drummer had a real talk with him to make him, following the death of singer, Amy Winehouse.

Embed from Getty Images

Quest told D that if he would’ve gotten a call that he had died from an overdose, it would have destroyed him. He also told D’Angelo, that’s why he’d been staying away from him for so many years. “That was probably the most emotional man-to-man talk that D and I had ever had” Questlove said. We’re just glad they had it.

By the way, these days you can catch D’Angelo on his European ‘D’Tour’ tour if you happen to be overseas.

The post Friends Exposed Tragedy That Caused D’Angelo’s Addiction & Fight To Get Him In Rehab appeared first on I Love Old School Music.