Peabo Bryan, a singer who is best known for his talents in Disney’s Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, has passed away after suffering from a stroke. He was 75 years old.
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The musician’s family confirmed the news in a statement to TMZ. “With broken hearts and profound sadness, the family of two-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, and balladeer, Peabo Bryson, announces his passing.”
Peabo’s family also shared that he died on Tuesday, “surrounded by the love of his family and those closest to him.”
According to CBS News, Bryson had suffered the stroke on May 31. He died two days later in Mariette, Georgia.
Born on April 13, 1951, in Greenville, South Carolina, Peabo started singing professionally in 1965 when he was just 14 years old.
Although he had already released various hit songs such as “If Ever You’re In Arms Again” and “Feel the Fire,” his successes came in the early ’90s, when he performed “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion in 1992 and “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle in 1993.
Both duets earned him Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the Grammy Awards in 1993 and 1994.
Bryson released nearly two dozen albums during his career, with his last, Grace, set for release this year.
The singer is survived by his wife, Tanya Boniface, and their son and a daughter from a previous relationship, as well as three grandchildren.
Celine Dion Speaks Out About Peabo Bryan’s Passing
Following the news about Bryan’s passing, Celine Dion took to social media to pay tribute to the late singer and her former duet partner.
“I’m heartbroken to hear that we lost Peabo Bryson today,” she wrote. “His incredible voice and his kind spirit embodied the beauty of song and performance.”
She further shared, “He was so wonderful and generous to me all those years ago, when we recorded Beauty and the Beast. He made me so comfortable, as I was just learning to sing in English.”
“He will remain for me always as a real symbol of the joy that music has brought to my life,” she added. “His voice and his talent will be missed. My heart is with your family, and may you rest in peace, Peabo.” ”
Peabo previously opened up about working with Dion on the duet during a 2017 CBC interview. “I looked across at her, and she looked back at me,” he said. “And what went on from the point of becoming relaxed was extremely intimate. You can’t buy that. You can record it, though.”
He also shared, “I learned that from doing duets. The key to it is to play to your duet partner’s strength and weaknesses equally. So essentially that renders into a situation where there are no weaknesses because you’re playing to them both equally.”