OAN Staff Jenna Lee
11:17 AM Wednesday, June 3, 2026
Grammy-winning R&B icon Peabo Bryson, internationally renowned for his breathtaking performances on the Disney classics “Beauty and the Beast” and “A Whole New World,” has died at the age of 75.
Bryson passed away in Marietta, Georgia on Tuesday evening following a stroke, with his loved ones by his side.
“We are tremendously moved by the outpouring of love, prayers and support from fans, friends, and colleagues around the world. 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’s family said in an official statement.
Born Robert Peabo Bryson in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1951, the singer discovered his passion for music at a very young age.
“And, as far back as I can remember, I’ve always been into music. 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,” Bryson recalled to Soul Magazine in 1978.
Bryson’s professional music career began as a teenager when he sang backup with local groups. He broke though on the R&B charts in 1978 when he scored his first major top-10 hit with “Reaching for the Sky.”
Over a career spanning more than five decades, the legendary balladeer became one of the industry’s most sought-after duet partners. He won two Grammy Awards for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group for his iconic Disney collaborations: 1992’s “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion and 1993’s “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle.
When assembling the track for Beauty and the Beast, producers matched a young, emerging Dion with the veteran balladeer to help the song crossover to pop radio. Though Dion was initially tentative during the session, Bryson noted that they quickly locked into a groove.
“I looked across at her, and she looked back at me and what went on from the point of becoming relaxed was extremely intimate. You can’t buy that. You can record it, though,” Bryson later remembered.
Disney executives later reunited Bryson with Belle for Aladdin’s signature theme, “A Whole New World,” after the pair had previously collaborated on “Without You” for the 1988 film Leonard Part 6. Knowing they worked well together, Belle specifically requested that Bryson join her on the track.
Bryson is survived by his wife, Tanya Bonaface Bryson, his two children, Robert and Linda and three grandchildren.
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