Peabo Bryson, the velvet voice behind Disney's 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'A Whole New World', dies at 75

A voice that defined an era

Peabo Bryson, the American R&B singer whose smooth tenor became synonymous with Disney's animated classics of the 1990s, died on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at the age of 75. His family confirmed he passed away at 5:00 p.m. ET in Marietta, Georgia, from complications following a stroke he suffered the previous weekend. "With broken hearts and profound sadness, the family of two-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and balladeer, Peabo Bryson, announces his passing," a family statement read. "He transitioned peacefully … surrounded by the love of his family and those closest to him."

The Disney duets that made him immortal

Bryson's global fame rests on two towering collaborations. In 1991, he recorded the title song for Disney's Beauty and the Beast with a then 23-year-old Celine Dion, who was just learning to sing in English. The track reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1992 and won the Grammy for best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal at the 1993 ceremony. A year later, his duet with Regina Belle on Aladdin's "A Whole New World" went even further, hitting No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1993 and dethroning Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" after its record 14-week reign. That song earned Bryson his second consecutive Grammy in the same category in 1994.

He was a very generous man and made me incredibly comfortable when we recorded Beauty and the Beast: I had just started learning English.

A career built long before Disney

Born Robert Peapo Bryson on April 13, 1951, in Greenville, South Carolina, the singer first entered the Billboard charts in 1976 with "Do It With Feeling," a collaboration with Michael Zager's Moon Band that peaked at No. 94 on the Hot 100. His debut solo album, Peabo, arrived the same year on the independent Bang Records label. A move to Capitol Records in 1977 launched a prolific run: "Reaching for the Sky" (No. 6, 1978), "I'm So Into You" (No. 2, 1979), and the Top 10 pop hit "If Ever You're in My Arms Again" (No. 6, 1984) established him as a mainstay of romantic R&B. His No. 1 R&B singles "Show & Tell" (1989) and "Can You Stop the Rain" (1991) cemented that status.

A master of the duet

Bryson's career was defined by partnerships. Before Dion and Belle, he recorded with Natalie Cole ("Gimme Some Time" reached No. 8 on the R&B chart in 1980) and built a particularly fruitful collaboration with Roberta Flack. Their highest-charting duet, "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love," hit No. 5 on the R&B chart in 1983. The nickname "voice of love" followed him through decades of ballads.

Health struggles and final years

Bryson had faced serious health challenges in recent years. In 2019, he survived a severe heart attack that left him clinically dead for nearly 30 minutes. After that experience, he focused more on his physical wellbeing while continuing to perform live. Just weeks before his death, he had given a concert in Georgia as part of celebrations marking his 50-year career.

His music accompanied generations through moments of joy, great love stories, and unforgettable moments of comfort and inspiration, creating a legacy that will forever remain in the hearts of those who loved him.

Tributes from across the music world

Celine Dion posted a tribute on X, writing that she was "heartbroken" and that Bryson would always remain "a true symbol of the joy that music brought into my life." She added: "His voice and talent will be missed … My thoughts are with your family, and may you rest in peace, Peabo." The family expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support: "We are deeply moved by the overwhelming sympathy, prayers and support from fans, friends and colleagues around the world. While our hearts are broken, we find comfort in knowing how much Peabo was loved."