R&B legend Peabo Bryson has died at the age of 75 after suffering a stroke, his family has confirmed. He passed away peacefully at 5:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, 2 June 2026, surrounded by loved ones.
In a statement, his family paid tribute to his more than five decades in music, describing his voice as a defining presence in some of life’s most memorable and emotional moments.
Born in South Carolina, Bryson began his career in the 1970s performing with Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display before embarking on a solo journey that would establish him as one of the most recognisable voices in contemporary R&B. His early breakthrough came after signing with Bang Records in Atlanta, releasing his debut album in 1976. He later moved to Capitol Records, where his reputation as a master of smooth, soulful ballads was firmly cemented.
Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Bryson delivered a string of R&B successes, including “Feel the Fire” and “Reaching for the Sky”, before achieving mainstream pop recognition with his 1984 Top 10 hit “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again”.
His duet work became particularly celebrated. Collaborations with artists such as Roberta Flack on “Born to Love” and later with Angela Bofill and Regina Belle further established his reputation as a premier vocal partner in contemporary soul and pop balladry.
Bryson also achieved global recognition through his Disney contributions, most notably alongside Celine Dion on “Beauty and the Beast” and with Regina Belle on “A Whole New World”, both of which became defining romantic standards for a generation.
Beyond his own recordings, Bryson’s work has had a significant and enduring influence on hip-hop production. His vocals have been widely sampled and reinterpreted by successive generations of producers and artists.
In 2015, Drake and The Game sampled “Feel the Fire” for their track “100”. Later, in 2022, producers Metro Boomin and artists A$AP Rocky and Takeoff reimagined elements of the same material for “Feel the Fiyaaaah”.
His influence also extended across a wide spectrum of hip-hop and R&B, with artists including Ty Dolla $ign, Kendrick Lamar, Nas and Jadakiss drawing on his musical legacy.
Bryson’s death marks the end of an era for a vocalist whose work bridged classic R&B, pop, and modern hip-hop sampling culture, leaving behind a catalogue that continues to shape contemporary music.
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