Peabo Bryson, timeless tenor of Disney ballads and R&B legend, dead at 75
By Lisa Respers France, CNN
(CNN) — Peabo Bryson, whose smooth tone and operatic control produced classic Disney hits as well as R&B standards, has died, according to a statement from his family. He was 75.
The statement said he died Tuesday evening “surrounded by the love of his family and those closest to him.”
Bryson is best known for contributing his talents to the Oscar-winning Disney duets “Beauty and the Beast,” sung alongside Celine Dion, and “A Whole New World,” sung with Regina Belle for the animated film “Aladdin.”
He’s also known for songs like “Feel the Fire” and “Can You Stop the Rain,” among others.
Born Robert Peapo Bryson in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1951, Bryson was in his early teens when he began singing background for older singers. It was some of those singers’ inability to pronounce “Peapo” that led him to the name “Peabo” Bryson.
At the age of 16, he left home to tour with Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display. where his soulful sound was featured on their singles “Cry Like a Baby” and “Bring Your Dreams to Me.”
Things changed when Bryson caught the attention of Eddie Biscoe, who was the general manager of Atlanta’s Bullet Records. Impressed with his vocals, Biscoe encouraged the young singer to go solo and signed him to work as an arranger, producer and writer.
In 1976, Bryson released his self-titled debut album, which Biscoe executive produced.
Two years later he left for Capitol Records and released his “Reaching for the Sky” album, which went gold.
Recognizing that Bryson paired well with female singers (something that would bring him even more success later in his career), the label linked him with another of their artists, Natalie Cole, for the 1979 project “We’re the Best of Friends.” A year later he worked with Roberta Flack for “Live & More.”
The later 1970s were good for Bryson as a solo artist, since he released several popular songs including 1977’s “Feel the Fire” and “Reaching for the Sky,” and 1978’s “I’m So into You” and “Crosswinds.”
In 1981, “Let the Feeling Flow” made Bryson a mainstay of R&B radio, and he and Flack again worked together on 1983’s “Born to Love,” which featured the hit “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love.”
Elektra Records came calling and signed Bryson, giving him a hit that became one of his signature tunes, 1984’s “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again,” which crossed over to the top 10 pop singles chart. Bryson penned his 1991 hit “Can You Stop the Rain,” which became a standard “quiet storm” jam on the radio.
But it was Disney’s animated films and his talent for pairing well with strong female singers that won Bryson his only two Grammys back to back.
His hit ballad “Beauty and the Beast” with superstar singer Celine Dion for the “Beauty and the Beast” soundtrack won the best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal in 1993, and he replicated that win the following year with Regina Belle for “A Whole New World (Aladdin’s Theme)” for the “Aladdin” film.
The two songs also both earned best original song Oscars at the Academy Awards.
In 2010, Bryson married British singer Tanya Boniface, who is a former member of the girl group The 411. The pair welcomed a son in 2018, who was seen singing with Bryson in a social media video shared in 2024.
The artist suffered a heart attack in 2019, and in May 2026 it was announced that he had been hospitalized following a stroke.
“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 family statement read on Tuesday. “His legacy and music will live on for generations to come.”
This story has been updated with additional information.
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