D'Angelo MIA from BET's Prince tributes - Los Angeles Times
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D’Angelo MIA from BET’s Prince tributes

Sheila E. celebrates Prince's music with a rousing mini-set near the end of the BET Awards on Sunday, but did so without the help of D'Angelo.
(Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press)
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Tributes to Prince were a highlight of Sunday night’s BET Awards – with salutes by Maxwell, Jennifer Hudson, Janelle Monáe and longtime collaborator Sheila E. among the most riveting moments of the show.

But one scheduled performer was nowhere to be seen: D’Angelo.

The “Black Messiah†singer would have been a stellar addition to a night of virtuosic Purple One alms. He previously performed “Sometimes It Snows in April†on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon†after Prince’s death in April, and in 2012, he played a much-loved tribute at Carnegie Hall.

But as Sheila E pounded away and the show wound down, it was clear that something was amiss – D’Angelo was MIA.

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Although D’Angelo had been highly billed since a June 7 announcement about the show’s Prince tributes, his name was missing from a June 23 update on the lineup.

Roots bandleader Questlove – who had performed earlier in the evening – responded to an inquiring fan’s tweet that a D’Angelo appearance was “not gonna happen.â€

As of now, his absence remains a mystery. Representatives for BET and D’Angelo did not immediately return requests for comment.

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