Singer, songwriter, producer, and musician Robert Peapo “Peabo” Bryson died on June 2nd at age 75 after suffering a stroke. Bryson’s soaring tenor is one of the most recognized of the past five decades. He started his career when he was just 14 years old, working as a backup singer for Al Freeman and the Upsetters in his native Greenville, South Carolina; it was Freeman’s difficulty pronouncing “Peapo” that led to the lifelong stage name “Peabo.”
He launched his solo career in 1976 and had regional success with his first album, Peabo. Capitol Records signed him to a deal in 1977, and he started having major hits with “Feel The Fire.” Over the next two decades, he became one of the premier male vocalists of his time thanks to solo soul staples like “Reaching for the Sky,” “Crosswinds,” “I’m So Into You,” “Let the Feeling Flow,” and his 1991 R&B chart-topper “Can You Stop the Rain.”
Bryson reached another level of success when he crossed over to the pop charts in 1984 with “If Ever You’re In My Arms Again,” which was his first Top Ten pop hit. It was during the ’80s when he recorded the duet album, Born To Love, with Roberta Flack, spawning the iconic love anthem “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love.”
The 1992 recording of “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle from Disney’s film Aladdin turned him into an absolute household name. He won two Grammys for his Disney ballad work: one in 1993 for his smash duet with Celine Dion on “Beauty and the Beast” and a second in 1994 for his duet with Belle.
Bryson’s powerhouse voice was also heard in operatic productions, most notably in the role of Sportin’ Life in the Michigan Opera Theatre of Detroit’s production of Porgy and Bess. Bryson’s 22nd studio album, Grace, produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, was scheduled for release this year.
