Peabo Bryson, whose remarkable vocals topped the charts and earned him two Grammy Awards for the classic Disney films "Beauty and the Beast" and "A Whole New World," has died at the age of 75.
His family confirmed the news to the publication. Rolling Stone , stating that the veteran entertainer died after suffering a stroke and "passed away peacefully at 5:00 PM ET on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family and those closest to him.".
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«"We are deeply touched by the outpouring of love, prayers, and support from fans, friends, and colleagues around the world," the family said in a statement. "While our hearts are broken, we find comfort in knowing how deeply Peabo was loved and how many people his voice and generous spirit touched. His legacy and music will live on for generations to come.".
Bryson was born on April 13, 1951, in Greenville, South Carolina. He began his professional music career after graduating from high school. After touring with Moses Dillard in the late 1960s, he released his debut album. «Peabo »" in 1976 and signed with Capitol Records a year later. He returned to Capitol after working with Elektra Records, where he contributed vocals to the theme song for the soap opera "The Big Bang Theory" in 1985. «One Life to Live» .
Throughout his prolific career, Bryson became renowned for his impeccable tenor voice and remarkable technical prowess, working with such prominent R&B artists as Sam Cooke and Brian McKnight. Notably, in 1983, he released an album of romantic duets with Roberta Flack, which included the hit song "Tonight I Celebrate My Love.".
Specializing in majestic ballads—"I'm So Into You," "Let the Feeling Flow," "If It's Really Love," "Feel the Fire," and "Through the Fire"—he released nearly 20 albums, charted in the Top 20 R&B charts 17 times, and had three gold-certified albums. He gained a new audience after recording theme songs for Disney films. «Beauty and the Beast» и «Aladdin» , creating the iconic duets "Beauty and the Beast" with Celine Dion in 1993 and "A Whole New World" with Regina Belle in 1994 for «Aladdin» .
«"If I could describe the most powerful emotions I experience every day, it would be gratitude, humility, and acceptance. Not in the way you think, but in the faith I have in myself and those around me, and in the person I have managed to remain," Bryson said. Rolling Stone magazine In 2018, I'm genuinely happy about it. I like myself. And I like that I don't have to tell anyone about my accomplishments or yell at everyone. But if someone were to stop and do some research, they'd find that there's no one else like me.
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