D'Angelo (born Michael Eugene Archer on February 11, 1974 in Richmond, Virginia) is a Grammy Award winning American soul singer, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, and record producer. He is often cited as the de facto leader of neo-soul, largely due to the impact of his debut album Brown Sugar, and its follow-up Voodoo. A virtuoso musician, D'Angelo is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences, Marvin Gaye, and Prince.