D'Angelo Ready to Record After SUV Crash

RICHMOND, Va. – R&B crooner D'Angelo (search), who won over America with his '90s soul ballads only to fade after bouts with the law and drugs, said he's ready to record after a car crash left him hospitalized for several days.

"I banged up my ribs but other than that I'm fine," he told The Associated Press in a phone interview Monday from his suburban home. Out of the hospital for two days, the singer said he's eager to get back to the studio.

D'Angelo, 31, born Michael Eugene Archer (search), was in a 2003 Hummer on Sept. 19 when it crossed the roadway and struck a fence. He was ejected from the sport utility vehicle, State Police Sgt. Kevin Barrick said Monday. Archer wasn't wearing a seat restraint, Barrick said.

Barrick said Archer was initially listed in critical condition.

Archer and his lawyer/business adviser, L. Londell McMillan, said the injuries weren't serious. They said he was banged up and bruised but apparently had no broken bones.

"He has no cast on his body," McMillan said in a phone interview from his New York office. "He's walking around and he's certainly talking."

In an earlier statement, McMillan said, "He is anxious to finish the recording of his soul masterpiece that the world has patiently awaited."

Lynne Sellers also was injured in the wreck, authorities said. D'Angelo said she was at the wheel of the SUV. As for other aspects of the accident, he said, "To tell you the truth, I don't really remember anything."

The accident occurred in Powhatan County, a bedroom community west of the city. Archer lives in Midlothian, just outside Richmond.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, Barrick said.

Known for hits such as "Brown Sugar" and a cover of Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'," Archer rode a wave of popularity that culminated with a Grammy in 2001 for best male R&B vocal performance for "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" from the album "Voodoo," which won a Grammy for best R&B album.

In April, the singer was fined $250 and given a 90-day suspended jail term on a driving under the influence of alcohol conviction. His driver's license was suspended for one year.

On a marijuana charge, Archer was fined $50 and given a 10-day suspended jail term. His driver's license was suspended for an additional six months.

Earlier this month, he received a suspended prison sentence after being convicted of cocaine possession. Archer had faced three years in prison.