About This Video
Peabo Bryson was more than the voice behind “Beauty and the Beast” and “A Whole New World.” He was a complete R&B artist, songwriter, and vocalist whose career tells a much bigger story about talent, ownership, publishing, taxes, crossover success, and how the music industry treats legacy artists. In this 30 Plus Years In feature, brought to you by RadioFacts.com, we look beyond the Disney headlines and revisit Peabo Bryson’s journey from Greenville, South Carolina, to Bang Records, Capitol Records, Disney, Grammy wins, IRS troubles, health battles, and the larger business lesson behind his catalog.
00:00 Peabo Bryson Beyond the Disney Headlines
01:10 Greenville, South Carolina and His Early Years
02:20 Bang Records and the First Music Business Lesson
03:45 Capitol Records and His Gold Al
Background & Context
From my three decades in the music industry, I can tell you stories about artists that you won’t find in their obituaries. Peabo Bryson is one such artist. Yes, he lent his voice to Disney classics, but his journey is so much more. From Greenville to Bang Records to Capitol, Peabo navigated the tumultuous waters of the industry, dealing with issues of talent, ownership, publishing, and taxes. His story is a masterclass in crossover success, and a sobering look at how the industry often overlooks legacy artists.
Key Takeaways
- Peabo Bryson was more than a Disney vocalist
- He navigated complex industry issues including ownership and taxes
- His story is a hard look at the treatment of legacy artists
- Bryson’s career is a roadmap for crossover success
- His journey from Greenville to major record labels is inspiring
About Kevin Ross
Kevin Ross is a music and broadcast industry veteran with more than
30 years of firsthand experience spanning radio programming, on-air
talent, record promotion, voice work, publishing, and digital media.
He has worked every side of the business — from the air studio to
the boardroom — and built one of the longest-running digital platforms
dedicated to Black radio and music industry coverage.
30 Plus Years In is where that experience lives on video.
