Peabo Bryson, the American R&B singer whose warm tenor graced two of Disney's most beloved title songs, died on Tuesday at the age of 75, surrounded by family and loved ones. His family confirmed he had suffered a stroke over the weekend and had been receiving medical care, though no official cause of death has been released. "For more than five decades, Peabo's extraordinary voice served as the soundtrack to some of life's most cherished moments," his family said in a statement.

Bryson, who was born and raised in South Carolina, began his career in the 1970s with the group Moses Dillard and the Tex-Town Display before establishing himself as a solo R&B artist. His catalogue of hits spans four decades and includes Feel the Fire, I'm So Into You, Can You Stop the Rain, If Ever You're In My Arms Again and Reaching for the Sky. He also found success in collaboration, most notably with singer Roberta Flack on the 1983 hit Tonight, I Celebrate My Love.

It was his work with Disney, however, that brought him global recognition across generations. He sang the title song from the 1991 animated film Beauty and the Beast alongside Canadian singer Céline Dion, a duet that won a Grammy Award and gave Dion her first top-ten hit in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The following year, he won a second Grammy for A Whole New World, the theme from Aladdin, recorded with singer Regina Belle. Both songs became major chart hits internationally, including in the Netherlands, and introduced Bryson to an entirely new audience of younger listeners who grew up with those films.

Dion was among the first to pay public tribute, saying she was "heartbroken" by the loss. "His incredible voice and his kind spirit embodied the beauty of song and performance," she wrote, adding that Bryson had been generous and supportive when they recorded together, at a time when she was still learning to sing in English. "He will remain for me always as a real symbol of the joy that music has brought to my life."

Bryson had remained active in recent months, performing a concert in the US state of Georgia in May and planning a Golden Touch tour later this year to celebrate five decades in the music industry. He had also marked his 75th birthday in April, sharing photos with family and friends on social media. His death closes the chapter on a career that, as his family noted, created "a legacy that will forever live in the hearts of those who loved him and the countless lives he touched through song."