Major star Peabo Bryson dies aged 75

Disney legend and R&B icon Peabo Bryson passed away on June 2 surrounded by his family, after suffering a stroke days prior. The 75-year-old, best known for his Disney collaborations, “transitioned peacefully at 5:00 p.m. ET,” according to a statement from his representative. 

“We are tremendously moved by the outpouring of love, prayers and support from fans, friends, and colleagues around the world,” his family said. “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.” 

Peabo was raised in South Carolina and showed a penchant for music from a young age, before becoming a member of the group Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display in the ’70s. 

He released his first album in 1976, and achieved his first top 10 R&B hit with “Reaching for the Sky” in 1978. Over the years, the crooner became well known for his duets, including with Natalie Cole and Roberta Flack, the latter of whom he released a duet album with in 1983. 

His 1991 duet, “Beauty and the Beast”, with Céline Dion, was written for the Disney film of the same name, and became a worldwide hit, even winning the pair a Grammy Award.

“When you’re a great singer like [Céline], oftentimes you find yourself in situations where you have to dial back,” Peabo later recalled to CBC of his time working with her. 

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“I learned that from doing duets. The key to it is to play to your duet partner’s strengths and weaknesses equally. So essentially that renders into a situation where there are no weaknesses because you’re playing to them both equally.”

“I looked across at her, and she looked back at me, and what went on from the point of becoming relaxed was extremely intimate,” he added. “You can’t buy that. You can record it, though.”

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The hitmaker followed this up with a duet with Regina Belle, “A Whole New World”, for the 1992 Disney flick Aladdin. It became the first song from an animated film to top the Billboard Top 100, and remains one of the most iconic songs in the Disney canon today, with the track also winning a Grammy Award. 

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On top of his two Grammy wins, Peabo also nabbed a Daytime Emmy nomination for outstanding original song for “I Found Love” on All My Children. His most recent album, Stand for Love, was released in 2018. 

The eight-time Grammy nominee suffered a heart attack in 2019 yet made a full recovery before passing away from a stroke on Tuesday. He is survived by his eldest daughter, Linda, his wife, Tanya Boniface, and their young son, Robert.