Peabo Bryson

Robert Lee "Peabo" Bryson ( ; born Robert Peapo Bryson and Regina Belle on "A Whole New World", with the latter becoming the first song from an animated feature film to top the Billboard Hot 100. Bryson was a winner of two Grammy Awards, both attributed to his Disney duets.

Early life Born as Robert Peapo Bryson in Greenville, South Carolina, on April 13, 1951, he spent much of his childhood on his grandfather's farm in Mauldin, South Carolina. Bryson's love for music stemmed from his mother, who often took the family to concerts of well-known black artists of the time.

Career Bryson marked his professional debut at the age of 14, singing backup for Al Freeman and the Upsetters, a local Greenville group. It was Freeman's difficulty in pronouncing Bryson's French West-Indian name, Peapo, that led Bryson to perform as Peabo. Two years later, he left home to tour the Chitlin' Circuit with another local band, Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display.

Bryson's first break came during a recording session at Atlanta's Bang Records. Although Bang was not impressed with Dillard's band, the young backup singer caught the ear of the label's general manager, Eddie Biscoe. Biscoe signed Bryson to a contract as a writer, producer, and arranger and encouraged Bryson to perform his own songs. For several years, Bryson worked with hometown bands and wrote and produced for Bang. 1989's "Show and Tell", and the 1991 hit "Can You Stop the Rain". Bryson's vocals were added to the regular theme song in 1986 and his voice was heard daily until 1992. He recorded the successful album of romantic love duets with Roberta Flack (Born to Love) in 1983. In partnership with Regina Belle, Bryson recorded two hit duets: "Without You", the love theme from the comedy film Leonard Part 6, recorded in 1987, and "A Whole New World", the main theme of the Disney's animated feature film Aladdin, recorded in 1992. Bryson and Belle recorded four duets over the years: "Without You" (in 1987), "I Can't Imagine" (in 1991), "A Whole New World" (in 1992), and "Total Praise" (in 2009). However, his Grammy for "A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)" was purchased by a close friend of the family who vowed to return it to Bryson.

In 2018, Bryson released his new album Stand for Love, which was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. The project was released on Jam & Lewis's newly reactivated label, Perspective Records.

Personal life Bryson was married in 2010 to Tanya Boniface, a singer and member of English R&B group The 411. On December 31, 2017, they had a son, who would occasionally join his father on stage. He also has a daughter from a previous relationship, along with three grandchildren.

Prior to his marriage, Bryson was engaged several times: first to Juanita Leonard, the former wife of boxer Sugar Ray Leonard,

Health and death On April 29, 2019, it was reported that Bryson had suffered a heart attack, and had been taken to an Atlanta hospital, where he was said to be in a stable condition. He made a full recovery.

On May 31, 2026, CBS News reported that Bryson had suffered a stroke. He died two days later, on June 2, at a hospital in Marietta, Georgia, at the age of 75.

Discography

Studio albums Peabo (1976) Reaching for the Sky (1977) Crosswinds (1978) Paradise (1980) Turn the Hands of Time (1981) I Am Love (1981) Don't Play with Fire (1982) Straight from the Heart (1984) Take No Prisoners (1985) Quiet Storm (1986) Positive (1988) All My Love (1989) Can You Stop the Rain (1991) Through the Fire (1994) Peace on Earth (1997) Unconditional Love (1999) Missing You (2007) Stand for Love (2018) Grace (2026)

Collaboration albums We're the Best of Friends with (Natalie Cole) (1979) Live & More with (Roberta Flack) (1980) Born to Love with (Roberta Flack) (1983)

Tours

Awards and nominations Daytime Emmy Awards +YearCategoryWorkResult 1993 Best Original Song "I Found Love" (with Earl Rose)

Grammy Awards +YearCategoryWorkResult 1992 Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male "Can You Stop the Rain" 1993 "Lost in the Night" Record of the Year "Beauty and the Beast" (with Celine Dion) Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals 1994 "A Whole New World" (with Regina Belle) Record of the Year 2000 Best Traditional R&B Performance Unconditional Love Best Male R&B Vocal Performance "Did You Ever Know"

NAACP Image Awards +YearCategoryWorkResult 1989 Outstanding Male Artist Himself 1992