Peabo Bryson, the R&B vocalist celebrated for his soulful ballads and for performing two iconic Disney theme songs, has died aged 75, his family has confirmed.
Many listeners will know Bryson for singing the title song ‘Beauty and the Beast’ with Celine Dion for Disney’s 1991 animated film of the same name. A year later, he returned to Disney to perform “A Whole New World’ for the studio’s animated feature Aladdin.
That track made history as the first song from an animated movie to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Bryson died on Tuesday, only days after he reportedly suffered a stroke.
Confirming the news in a statement, his family said: “We are tremendously moved by the outpouring of love, prayers and support from fans, friends, and colleagues around the world.”
“While our hearts are broken, we find comfort in knowing how deeply Peabo was loved and how many lives were touched by his voice and his generous spirit. His legacy and music will live on for generations to come.”
Born Robert Peapo Bryson in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1951, he showed musical ambition early on. In a 1978 interview with Soul magazine, he said: “As far back as I can remember, I’ve always been into music.”
“It’s all I ever wanted to really deal with, and of course, like everyone else, I had to make that decision — I guess when I was around 14 — as to what I was going to get into, career-wise. Well, I’d thought about being a doctor or something like that, but I really felt that music was my thing.”
He also recalled that his mother worried about where fame could lead, adding: “She figured I’d turn into a drug addict or something like that!”
Bryson began performing as a teenager and quickly built momentum in the US music scene. As audiences and industry figures struggled to pronounce “Peapo,” he adopted the professional name Peabo.
After first working locally, he toured the Chitlin’ Circuit with Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display, where his voice drew the attention of a studio that was taken with his sound.
He signed with Bang Records and released a self-titled album, Peabo, in 1976, before later moving to Capitol Records.
Hits followed soon after, including his first Top 10 single, 1978’s ‘Reaching for the Sky,’
By 1980, he had become a widely recognised name and began working with Roberta Flack on a run of well-known songs, including ‘Love Is a Waiting Game,’ ‘You’re Lookin’ Like Love to Me,’ ‘I Just Came Here to Dance,’ and their biggest collaboration, ‘Tonight, I Celebrate My Love,’.
Heading into the 1990s, Disney tapped Bryson to duet with rising star Celine Dion on the title song for Beauty and the Beast.
The track became a major hit—reaching No. 9 on the Hot 100—earning them a Grammy and leading to his return the following year to sing the title song for Aladdin, ‘A Whole New World,’ alongside Regina Belle.
Over his career, Bryson released 20 studio albums and received eight Grammy nominations.
He is survived by his wife, Tania Boniface, and his two children.