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.

Belle said she visited Bryson in the hospital on Sunday after he had suffered a stroke, when she “held his hand and sang in a whisper, “A Whole New World” and “Total Praise,” our version of the song that Peabo and I recorded.”

“The hardest part of this moment is knowing that I will never be able to sing again with the person who helped me create such magic,” Belle said. “Peabo was far more than a legendary artist; he was my friend, my trusted collaborator, and someone whose talent, kindness, and generosity left an indelible mark on my life and career.”

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 crooned 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.”

Peabo Bryson, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ and ‘A Whole New World’ Singer, Dies at 75

The R&B singer was known for his duets with artists like Céline Dion and Roberta Flack

NEED TO KNOW
Peabo Bryson died on Tuesday, June 2 at age 75
Bryson was an eight-time Grammy nominee known for his soulful duets and chart-topping Disney collaborations
His 1992 duet “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle was the first song from an animated film to top the Billboard Hot 100

Peabo Bryson has died at the age of 75. The singer was known for singing soul ballads, and particularly duets. In 1991, “Beauty and the Beast,” his duet of the title song from the Disney film with Céline Dion, became a massive hit. A year later, he and Regina Belle released “A Whole New World” from Aladdin, and it became the first song from an animated film to reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

Bryson died Tuesday, June 2 surrounded by family, just days after suffering a stroke.

“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 shared with 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.”

Bryson was born Robert Peapo Bryson in Greenville, S.C., in 1951. “And, as far back as I can remember, I’ve always been into music,” he told Soul magazine in 1978. “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.”

His mother was concerned: “She figured I’d turn into a drug addict or something like that!” he told the outlet.