Peabo Bryson obit

Peabo Bryson Dies: R&B Singer Of Disney’s “A Whole New World” & “Beauty & The Beast” Was 75

 He was not on the list.

Peabo Bryson, the two-time Grammy-winning R&B singer and songwriter, died June 2. He was 75. He reportedly had suffered a stroke days prior.

The artist was known for singing soul ballads, including “A Whole New World” from Aladdin with Regina Belle and the title song from from Beauty and the Beast, a duet with Celine Dion.

“We are tremendously moved by the outpouring of love, prayers and support from fans, friends, and colleagues around the world,” Bryson’s family said in a statement to People. “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 Peopo Bryson on April 13, 1951, in Greenville, SC, he launched his music career with his 1976 debut album Peabo. The following year, he would sign with Capitol Records with the release of Reaching for the Sky. Some of his hits include “Feel the Fire,” “Reaching for the Sky,” “I’m So into You,” “Crosswinds,” “Let the Feeling Flow,” “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again,” “Show & Tell,” and “Can You Stop the Rain.”

In 1985, Bryson appeared on One Life to Live, where he sang a lyrical version of the classic theme song.

After first charting in 1975, Bryson had a pair of smash pop hits with theme songs from back-to-back Disney toons. “Beauty and the Beast” reached the Top 10 in 1991, and “A Whole New World” topped the Billboard Hot 100 the following year. He also had a Top 10 pop hit with “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again” in 1984.

Bryson’s two Grammy Awards were for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for “Beauty and the Beast” — which also was up for Record of the Year — and “A Whole New World.” He also had a half-dozen other Grammy noms from 1992-2000.

In 1983, Bryson and Roberta Flack released the duets LP Born to Love, which spawned “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love,” a Top 5 R&B and AC hit that reached the pop Top 20. In all, Bryson had nine R&B Top 10s, including the chart-toppers “Show & Tell” (1989) and “Can You Stop the Rain” (1991).

Bryson recorded 20 solo albums from 1976-2018, including a half-dozen that hit the Top 10 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart. He had five career gold albums, including three in a row in 1978-79: Reaching for the Sky, Crosswinds and We’re the Best of Friends, a duets disc with Natalie Cole. His LP with Flack also went gold.

Bryson also teamed with Kenny G for “By the Time This Night Is Over,” a track on the latter’s 1993 album Breathless that became one of Bryson’s three songs to top Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart. That album has sold more than 12 million copies in the U.S. alone.

After collaborating with singers Luther Vandross and Cissy Houston on his debut album Peabo (1976), he signed to Capitol Records and released the 1978 albums Reaching for the Sky and Crosswinds, which were certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He later released the collaborative projects We're the Best of Friends (1979) with Natalie Cole and Born to Love (1983) with Roberta Flack, the latter of which included the hit single "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love".

Born as Robert Peapo Bryson in Greenville, South Carolina, on April 13, 1951, he spent much of his childhood on his grandfather's farm in Mauldin, South Carolina. Bryson's love for music stemmed from his mother, who often took the family to concerts of well-known black artists at the time.

Bryson performed in theater and operatic productions, most notably the tenor role of "Sportin' Life" in the Michigan Opera Theater of Detroit's version of Porgy and Bess. His tax problems caught up with him on August 21, 2003, when the U.S. Internal Revenue Service seized property from his home in Atlanta, Georgia. He is reported to have owed $1.2 million in taxes dating back to 1984. The IRS auctioned many of his possessions, including both Grammy Awards, electronic equipment, his grand piano, and multiple pairs of shoes. However, his Grammy for "A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)" was purchased by a close friend of the family who vowed to return it to Bryson.

 

Discography

Studio albums

Peabo (1976)

Reaching for the Sky (1977)

Crosswinds (1978)

Paradise (1980)

Turn the Hands of Time (1981)

I Am Love (1981)

Don't Play with Fire (1982)

Straight from the Heart (1984)

Take No Prisoners (1985)

Quiet Storm (1986)

Positive (1988)

All My Love (1989)

Can You Stop the Rain (1991)

Through the Fire (1994)

Peace on Earth (1997)

Unconditional Love (1999)

Missing You (2007)

Stand for Love (2018)

Grace (2026)

Collaboration albums

We're the Best of Friends with (Natalie Cole) (1979)

Live & More with (Roberta Flack) (1980)

Born to Love with (Roberta Flack) (1983)