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Justin Timberlake<\/a> joined the loud and passionate chorus of musicians and fans paying tribute to R&B icon D\u2019Angelo<\/a> following the singer\u2019s death<\/a> on Tuesday (Oct. 14) at age 51 following a long battle with pancreatic cancer.<\/p>\n In a heartfelt Instagram Story<\/a> post on Tuesday night, Timberlake went deep on how much D\u2019Angelo\u2019s music meant to him and inspired his own music, as well as reminiscing about the first time they met. \u201cI\u2019ll never forget hearing\u00a0Brown Sugar<\/em>\u00a0for the first time. It changed me. You changed me,\u201d JT wrote about D\u2019Angelo\u2019s beloved 1995 debut album, which is considered a stone cold neo soul classic thanks to the silky smooth title track and his indelible, languid cover of Smokey Robinson\u2019s 1979 single \u201cCruisin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n More from Billboard<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cIt was the most pivotal moment in establishing confidence in my own voice,\u201d Memphis native Timberlake continued. \u201cFor the first time, I heard a sound that reflected the sounds I grew up with \u2014\u00a0early R&B, but \u2018now\u2019 it was intertwined with a modern edge. The chords and arrangement carried a mixture of church\/jazz\/funk. The harmonies delicately dancing with one another. It sat in my spirit and always will.\u201d<\/p>\n The \u201cSexyBack\u201d singer also had high praise for D\u2019Angelo\u2019s 2000 sophomore album, Voodoo<\/em>, which critics and fans agreed was well worth the five-year wait thanks to such soul-stirring, slow-cooking burners as \u201cDevil\u2019s Pie,\u201d \u201cUntitled (How Does It Feel)\u201d and the Method Man\/Redman team up \u201cLeft and Right.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd then???! Voodoo<\/em>??? Where do I begin with this one???,\u201d Timberlake wrote. \u201cMaybe my favorite mixed album of all time. The rawness, that took time to cultivate and process. Created an absolutely transcendent listening experience. The legendary players and collaborators, the sounds, the way it made colors dance around my head. It grabbed me, it shook me, I was changed once again.\u201d<\/p>\n Timberlake also shared a photo of the first time the two singers met backstage at Radio City Music Hall, where the then-19-year-old boy bander saw D\u2019Angelo on his Voodoo<\/em> tour. In the snap, D\u2019Angelo has his arm around Timberlake\u2019s shoulder as the two men stare into the camera.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Voodoo tour at Radio City was one of the best concert experiences of my life,\u201d Timberlake wrote. \u201cYou. Quest. Pino. Poyser. And everyone on that stage had just ripped the faces off that crowd. And then I was lucky enough to grab a sacred moment with you backstage and tell you how in awe of you I was. (The picture before is from that moment\u2026) You were kind, under-spoken. I will never forget that.\u201d<\/p>\n Though D\u2019Angelo only released three studio albums in his lifetime, Timberlake said he was fully there for every note, also lavishing praise on D\u2019s third \u2014\u00a0and at this point, final \u2014\u00a0studio album, 2014\u2019s Black Messiah<\/em>. Saying he could \u201cgo on and on\u201d about that LP or his favorite \u201cLauryn [Hill] collab,\u201d \u201cthose beautiful covers captured in live recordings,\u201d Timberlake said one thought summed up his fandom.<\/p>\n \u201cYou took R&B and put it in all capitals,\u201d JT said, dubbing himself \u201cone of your biggest\u201d fans. \u201cMeshed it with something else and changed the landscape, made it something more. Your contribution will always be remembered,\u201d he added, dedicating his post to \u201c1 of 1. RIP Trailblazer.\u201d<\/p>\n Timberlake joined a long list of musicians who flooded the zone on Tuesday with high praise and emotional memories of the high priest of neo soul, a roster that included Tyler, the Creator, Doja Cat, DJ Premiere<\/a> and Beyonc\u00e9, who wrote that D \u201cchanged and transformed<\/a> rhythm & blues forever.\u201d<\/p>\n At press time no information about memorial services for D\u2019Angelo had been announced.<\/p>\n <\/a> Billboard VIP Pass<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Best of Billboard<\/strong><\/p>\n Sign up for Billboard’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n