Peabo Bryson, Grammy-Winning Voice Behind ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ Dies at 75
Peabo Bryson, the Grammy-winning vocalist whose elegant tenor helped define some of R&B’s most beloved ballads, has died at age 75. Rated R&B reported the news on Wednesday (June 3), citing a statement shared across Bryson’s official social media accounts, while Billboard also confirmed the loss through a tribute from his longtime duet partner Regina Belle.
According to the statement shared by his family, Bryson passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, surrounded by loved ones. Rated R&B noted that the family described his music as a soundtrack for generations, and that framing feels right for an artist whose voice helped carry love songs, Disney classics and adult contemporary R&B across decades.
Bryson was best known for his Oscar-winning work on Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and A Whole New World with Belle, but his catalog stretched far beyond those signature moments. Billboard reported that Belle called him her “official duet partner” and said the hardest part of the moment was knowing she would never sing with the man who helped create such magic again.
In an era that often rewards volume over feeling, Bryson stood for something different: control, warmth and the kind of emotional precision that made every note sound lived-in. His legacy will live not only in awards and chart history, but in the slow-dance memories and wedding-day staples that still move through R&B culture today.
