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The music industry has said goodbye to an icon.
Peabo Bryson, an R&B singer best known for his vocals on the pop renditions of "Beauty and the Beast" and "A Whole New World," died on June 2 at the age of 75, his family reported. His demise comes days after they revealed that he had suffered a stroke.
"He transitioned peacefully at 5:00 p.m. ET on the evening of Tuesday, June 2, 2026," his family stated in a statement to Variety, "surrounded by the love of his family and those closest to him."
"For more than five decades, Peabo's extraordinary voice served as the soundtrack to some of life's most cherished moments," the statement added. "His music transported generations through happy celebrations, beautiful love stories, and enduring memories of comfort and inspiration, creating a legacy that will forever live in the hearts of those who loved him and the countless lives he touched through song.”
The family, which included wife Tanya Boniface, son Robert, 8, and his daughter Linda, 58, from a previous relationship, requested seclusion while they dealt with Bryson's loss.
"We are tremendously moved by the outpouring of love, prayers, and support from fans, friends, and colleagues around the world," they stated. "While our hearts are torn, we take solace in knowing how much Peabo was loved and how many people were impacted by his voice and generous personality. His impact and music will carry on for future years."
Bryson was born Robert Peapo Bryson in Greenville, South Carolina, on April 13, 1951, and began his professional singing career as a teenager.
He had numerous R&B successes in the 1970s, including "Feel the Fire" and "I'm So Into You." In 1983, he made a duet album with Roberta Flack called Born to Love, which includes the song "Tonight I Celebrate My Love."
And it was his duet with Celine Dion for 1991's "The Beauty and the Beast" from the Disney cartoon, as well as with Regina Belle for "A Whole New World" from 1992's Aladdin, that propelled Bryson to greater stardom. He won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group two years in a row for his Disney collaborations.
"Disney songs don't come with a manual," Bryson explained on Closer Look With Rose Scott in 2018. "It is whatever you give it. There’s no suggestion on how you approach it. You have to have something to give it; you have to make it yours.”
And at the time, Bryson was ready to keep making his music entirely his for as long as he could.
“I have miles to go before I sleep,” he said. “There’s a gazillion things to sing about, to write about, to shout about.”
