Recent Losses in the World of Black Entertainment
By: Rev. Christopher W. Riley
FWIS Contributing Writer
“Ooh, I’m gonna tell Mama” a line that was popularized in the late 1970’s by Danielle Spencer, a child actress who co-starred in What’s Happening as the younger sister of Raj. Spencer died on August 13 after a yearslong battle with cancer according to the Associated Press. She was 60.
What’s Happening was based on the movie Cooley High and ran on ABC from 1976 to 1979. The series was one of the first to focus on the lives of Black teenagers. It had a long legacy thanks to its memorable characters, including the geeky Raj, the catchphrase-spouting Dwayne, the red-bereted dancing phenom Rerun, and Dee with her eyerolls and icy stare.
Spencer went on to appear in the reboot of the series, “What’s Happening Now!!” which ran from 1985-1988. She went on to attend the University of California Dais, UCLA and earned a doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1993 from Tuskegee University, an HBCU located in Tuskegee Alabama,
Spencer spent a life of overcoming obstacles. She was in a major car accident at the age of 12 which was early in the production of What’s Happening Season 1. Her Stepfather Tim Pelt was killed, and Spencer was in a coma for three weeks. She would later have spinal and neurological problems that would require surgeries in the years to come. In 2014 Spencer was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. shared Haywood Nelson via Instagram. Nelson, Spencer’s castmate, portrayed Dwayne on both What’s Happening and What’s Happening Now.
Spencer continued to dabble in acting in her later years, including an appearance as a veterinarian in the 1997 Jack Nicholson film "As Good as it Gets."
D’Angelo’s musicianship and artistry will always be remembered for epitomizing the neo-soul movement of the mid-nineties. The Brown Sugar Man and Mr. How Does it Feel, Michael Eugene Archer known to his fans as D’Angelo died on October 14 as a result of a prolonged battle with pancreatic cancer. D’ Angelo’s untimely death has raised awareness of pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is a type of cancer that develops from two types of cells in the pancreas, which is a 6-inch-long gland that sits between the stomach and spine, according to the NCI.
The more than 60,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer expected to be diagnosed in 2025 represent 3.3% of new cancer cases this year, while the more than 50,000 lives lost will represent over 8% of deaths due to cancer in 2025.
The disease is the 10th most common form of cancer, with cases rising about 0.9% per year since 2013, according to the American Cancer Society.
Treatment for the disease may involve surgery to remove part of the pancreas, small intestine, and bile duct radiation, or chemotherapy, depending on the stage and spread of the cancer, but the prognosis remains poor, with only about 13% of patients surviving five years after diagnosis.
D'Angelo earned his big break in music when he coproduced the 1994 single "U Will Know" by supergroup Black Men United, a music collective that consisted of R&B powerhouses including Boyz II Men, Usher, Al B. Sure! R. Kelly and Lenny Kravitz, among others. The song went on to peak at No. 5 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. (Segara 2025)
D’Angelo is known by most as the “naked dude” in the Untitled (How Does it Feel) video. However, according to his former manager Dominique Trenier that was not the original intention. "I'm at peace with it, and I feel there's been too much made out of it," D'Angelo reflected. "Any issues I may have had were me thinking that it wasn't about the song — that it was all about me appearing in the nude.
"But now I think people gravitated to how sexy and beautiful the song was. It wouldn't have raised the eyebrows it did if the song wasn't good. The video was just a great accompaniment."
D’Angelo’s final album Black Messiah was released in 2014. The album earned the singer Grammy awards for best R&B album and best R&B song ("Really Love"). He is also known for his romantic relationship with Angie Stone who was the muse behind 1995’s “Brown Sugar.” Stone and D’Angelo have a son, Michale Archer, Jr. who is a musical artist. D’Angelo’s passing comes only seven months after Stone’s death as a result of a car accident.
"I remember 1995, when Brown Sugar came out and changed my life. I was just graduating high school and moved to Philadelphia to go to college. I bought my first stereo with a CD player … my first 2 CD purchases were Brown Sugar and Mary J Blige's classic My Life. I played both of these albums incessantly," Grammy-Award Winning Musical Artist John Legend shared.
“Your music and your impression will be felt for generations to come." Academy-Award Winning Actor and Musical Artist Jamie Foxx also recalled seeing D'Angelo's "incredible" music video for "Untitled (How Does it Feel)" and the R&B singer's "silky and flawless" voice, calling him "anointed" and "one of one."
"God put you here for a reason and we were all lucky enough to see what God had made… That's why today real tears run down my face … to hear the news that God has taken one of his special creations home," said Fox.
Vocalist and Actress Lauryn Hill shared. I regret not having more time with you."
"Your undeniable beauty and talent were not of this world, and a presence not of this world needs protection in a world that covets light and the anointing of God,"