Peabo Bryson, singer of 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Tonight, I Celebrate My Love,' dies at 75

Kathleen PerriconeWed, June 3, 2026 at 12:21 AM UTC

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Peabo Bryson in 2025
Credit: Monica Morgan/GettyKey Points -

R&B legend Peabo Bryson has died.

The singer of "Beauty and the Beast," "A Whole New World," and "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" was 75.

He had famously collaborated with Celine Dion and Roberta Flack.

The music world lost one of its most nostalgic voices on Tuesday with the passing of Peabo Bryson, best known for the theme songs of Disney's Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. He was 75.

The two-time Grammy Award winner had suffered a stroke days earlier, his rep confirmed, and was under medical care. When he died on June 2, Bryson was surrounded by family.

“We are tremendously moved by the outpouring of love, prayers and support from fans, friends, and colleagues around the world,” Bryson's family said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “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 recorded 20 studio albums over his 50-year career, most recently 2026's Grace. The South Carolina native first found fame as a duet partner with Roberta Flack on 1983's "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love," considered one of the greatest love ballads of the decade.

In 1991, he recorded "Beauty and the Beast" with Celine Dion for the animated classic, earning an Oscar, Grammy, and Golden Globe. The following year, he struck gold again with Regina Belle on "A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)." The pop ballad, which plays during Aladdin's closing credits, peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — bumping Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" from the top of the charts.

"I think the secret to a really good duet is that you have to fall a little bit in love with your duet partner," Bryson told Tatler Asia in 2015. "I was very fortunate in finding a duet partner in Roberta Flack who really knew what a duet was and knew how to play to a person's strengths and weaknesses equally."

He did exactly that with Dion, a French-Canadian powerhouse who was still relatively new to American audiences in 1991 and seemed timid in the recording studio.

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"I looked across at her, and she looked back at me and what went on from the point of becoming relaxed was extremely intimate," Bryson recalled. "You can't buy that. You can record it, though."

Bryson, a father of two, suffered a heart attack in 2019 yet made a full recovery. "I was on the other side long enough to make friends,” Bryson told 11Alive ahead of his comeback performance in Atlanta that year. “Flatlining is different...  I’m healthy and anxious, and excited to be back on stage at this particular point.”

Peabo Bryson in 2022
Credit: Derek White/Getty

Last year, Bryson announced his Golden Touch Tour to celebrate his 50 years in music. "It's surreal," he said. "Most people don't get to say they've had a five-decade career in anything, let alone music. But what makes it even more special is that I almost didn't make it to see this milestone."

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After his passing on Tuesday, Bryson's family remembered the beloved artist for serving as "the soundtrack to some of life’s most cherished moments. His music carried generations through joyful celebrations, great love stories and enduring moments of comfort and inspiration, creating a legacy that will forever live in the hearts of those who loved him and the countless lives he touched through song."

The statement continued, "In this deeply difficult moment, the family asks for privacy as they mourn the loss of a beloved husband, father, family member, friend and artist whose impact extended far beyond the stage."

on Entertainment Weekly

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”