June Isaacs Recalls Peabo Bryson’s Jamaica Visit After R&B Singer’s Death

Tributes have continued for R&B great Peabo Bryson after his death on Tuesday, with musicians, public officials and fans reflecting on a career that crossed generations. Bryson, a two-time Grammy winner whose voice helped carry the Oscar-winning Disney duets Beauty and the Beast with Celine Dion and A Whole New World with Regina Belle from Aladdin, died in an Atlanta hospital days after suffering a stroke. He was 75.

Jamaica was among the places where Bryson built fond memories through live performance. His most recent appearance on the island came in February 2019 at Red Rose for Gregory, a show mounted through the Gregory Isaacs Foundation with event partner Robert Minott, Lenworth ‘DJ Squeeze’ Samuels leading production, and Tracy Hamilton serving as project manager.

June Isaacs, chair of the foundation and widow of reggae singer Gregory Isaacs, told The Gleaner that the Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle concert remains among her favourite productions. She said Bryson arrived without fuss and treated people around him with courtesy.

“I remember meeting him at the airport and he said to me very politely, ‘Please allow me to smoke a cigarette’. He was no problem … he was cooperative and acted very normally … not like a superstar or anything. All he wanted was some Jamaican jerk chicken and when he got it he loved it. I had to get jerk chicken for him two more times after that,” Isaacs recalled.

Isaacs remembered Bryson as “an exceptionally affable and consummate professional”. She said he was accommodating, gracious, calm and never difficult to manage. According to her, Bryson paid close attention to the audience and shaped his performance so patrons felt included, using warmth and crowd interaction to make the night special.

“Peabo had a deep appreciation for Jamaica and Jamaica in turn embraced him,” Isaacs told The Gleaner.

She also recalled the atmosphere around the stage that night. Beres Hammond, she said, stood nearby with a look that showed how pleased he was with the performance. Robert Hill, who was deputy mayor at the time, attended the event, along with former Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller and her husband, as they joined the crowd in supporting Bryson and Belle.

Isaacs said one of the night’s standout moments came when a couple became engaged on stage. The pair had been positioned at the front of the audience before Bryson invited them up, and the man produced the ring in front of the crowd. For Isaacs, the scene captured the feeling of the concert, which she described as being filled with love.

News of Bryson’s death, she said, came as a shock. Isaacs said he had been considered as a possible returning act for another Red Rose for Gregory show or a concert of similar standing. She extended condolences to his relatives and said his passing represents a major blow to music.

Part of the proceeds from Red Rose for Gregory is always directed to Patricia House, the drug rehabilitation centre in Kingston. In a 2019 interview with The Gleaner, Bryson spoke about why he supported that cause.

“I don’t do it [drugs] but I’ve been around it my entire life and career, so I understand it. I’ve had family members who really needed that help, so it’s personal to me in that way. In my field of art, it has always been an issue, and I think it’s because most artistes want a little bit of relief. All Elvis Presley wanted was 10 hours of sleep, so did Michael Jackson – uninterrupted sleep. It’s hard to turn off and come down, so you end up needing help doing it. There’s also yoga, meditation, zen. There are a number of things you can do that don’t have anything to do with drugs, but I’m happy to be a part of anything that provides a system for everyone that needs help,” Bryson said.

Many of Bryson’s peers in music have also posted public messages in his memory. Celine Dion wrote on X that she was heartbroken by his death and remembered both his voice and generosity. She said he helped her feel at ease when they recorded Beauty and the Beast while she was still learning to sing in English, and added that he would always represent for her the happiness music had brought to her life.

Singer Kenny Lattimore described Bryson as “one of the greatest voices our genre has ever known”. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens also paid tribute, saying Bryson’s “extraordinary talent, timeless artistry and unmistakable voice” formed part of the soundtrack to treasured moments in many lives. Dickens noted that Bryson’s career had strong ties to Atlanta, where his art developed and where he contributed to the city’s musical and cultural identity.

Bryson’s family said in a statement that he died several days after a stroke and asked for privacy as they grieve. He is survived by his wife, Tanya Bonaface Bryson, and two children.

The singer began working professionally after leaving high school and released his debut album, Peabo, in 1976. He joined Capitol Records in 1977, later recorded with Elektra Records, and subsequently returned to Capitol. Across his career, Bryson released more than 20 albums and earned several Grammy nominations. He won two Grammys, including the 1993 Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Group or Duo award with Celine Dion for Beauty and the Beast, and the same award with Regina Belle for Aladdin.