‘Beauty and the Beast’ Singer Peabo Bryson Dies at 75

Legendary soul singer Peabo Bryson, the voice behind Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" and "A Whole New World," has died at 75 following a stroke.

Peabo Bryson, the velvet-voiced legend behind the beloved Disney classics "Beauty and the Beast" and "A Whole New World," has passed away.

Singer-songwriter Peabo Bryson attends the Thurgood Marshall College Fund 28th Annual Awards Gala at Washington Hilton on November 21, 2016 in Washington, DC. | Source: Getty Images

The celebrated singer-songwriter, renowned for his soul ballads and show-stopping duets, died on Tuesday, June 2, 2026. He was 75.

His family confirmed the news in a heartfelt statement, released just days after he suffered a stroke. "We are tremendously moved by the outpouring of love, prayers and support from fans, friends, and colleagues around the world," the statement read.

"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."

Singer-Songwriter Peabo Bryson attends the 25th Annual Trumpet Awards at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center on January 21, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. | Source: Getty Images

Bryson was born Robert Peapo Bryson in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1951. His passion for music took root early, and by his early teens, he already knew it was the only path worth taking.

"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."

Peabo Bryson, circa 1975. | Source: Getty Images

He admitted other ambitions briefly crossed his mind. "Well, I'd thought about being a doctor or something like that, but I really felt that music was my thing," he said. His mother, however, wasn't quite as convinced. "She figured I'd turn into a drug addict or something like that!"

Bryson got his start performing professionally as a teenager, working as a backup singer for a local outfit called Al Freeman and the Upsetters — a group he frankly described as "terrible" in that same 1978 interview.

Peabo Bryson, circa 1979. | Source: Getty Images

It was Freeman, the group's frontman, who inadvertently gave Bryson his stage name; struggling to pronounce "Peapo," the nickname "Peabo" stuck.

From there, Bryson hit the road with Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display, touring the Chitlin' Circuit. Bang Records caught one of their performances and immediately zeroed in on Bryson's talent.

He released his debut album, "Peabo," with the label in 1976, before signing with Capitol Records — a move that kicked off a remarkable run of success.

Peabp Bryson, circa 1980 | Source: Getty Images

His first Top 10 R&B hit came with 1978's "Reaching for the Sky," and the following year, his duet with Natalie Cole, "Gimme Some Time," climbed to No. 8 on the chart — an early glimpse of the magic he could conjure alongside a partner.

The two followed it up with "What You Won't Do for Love," which reached No. 16, and Bryson also landed a Top 20 hit with his rendition of the Doobie Brothers' "Minute by Minute."

The hits kept coming, but 1991 proved to be a defining year. That was when Bryson recorded "Beauty and the Beast" as a duet with a then-emerging Celine Dion for Disney's animated film of the same name.

Peabo Bryson performs during Met Life Presents the Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame on June 1, 1994. | SOurce: Getty Images

The song soared to No. 9 on the Hot 100 and earned them both a Grammy Award. It was a track Bryson never grew weary of. "I never ever got tired of listening to it," he told the CBC.

Peabo Bryson, circa 1994. | Source: Getty Images

That achievement earned Bryson and Belle another Grammy.

Over the course of his career, Bryson released 20 studio albums and earned eight Grammy nominations in total. In 2019, years before his death, he survived a heart attack and made a full recovery.

He is survived by his wife, Tanya Boniface — a former member of the British girl group The 411, whom he married in 2010 — their son Robert, born in 2018, and his daughter Linda, born in 1968.