Photographer Eric Johnson Remembers Cruising New York With D'Angelo

O n October 14, the iconic singer D’Angelo died of pancreatic cancer at 51. Tributes and recollections of the Brown Sugar, Voodoo , and Black Messiah artist poured in from all over the world, including from legendary photographer Eric Johnson, who posted never-before-seen pictures he took of the soulman in the nineties. Johnson, who’s shot the likes of Notorious B.I.G, J Dilla, Lauryn Hill, and directed Maxwell’s “Til The Cops Come Knockin’” music video, told us about his chance first encounter with D’Angelo in the nineties, and hanging out with him during a guerrilla-style photoshoot.

Back in the nineties, my best friend was Sarah Anne Webb from [British band] D’Influence. She would come to New York [and] hang out with me. I had this little ‘66 Mustang convertible we’d driv