Peabo Bryson Net Worth at Death: Disney Duets and an IRS Seizure

Peabo Bryson had a net worth of about $2.5 million when he died on June 2, 2026, at age 75, according to Celebrity Net Worth (checked September 2026). That is a small figure for a two-time Grammy winner who sang two of Disney's best-known songs, and the main reason is his tax history: in 2003 the IRS seized property from his Atlanta home, including his Grammy trophies, over more than $1.2 million in unpaid taxes.

Where the money came from

Bryson's career ran for more than five decades, and his income came from four main sources.

Records

He released 21 studio albums, the last being Stand for Love in 2018, produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, the Associated Press reported via NPR. His 1978 Capitol albums Reaching for the Sky and Crosswinds were both certified gold by the RIAA (Wikipedia). Born to Love, his 1983 duet album with Roberta Flack, reached No. 25 on the Billboard 200, and "If Ever You're in My Arms Again" topped the adult contemporary chart in 1984 (Celebrity Net Worth).

Disney soundtracks

His two Disney duets were his widest hits:

One detail limits what those songs paid him. Both won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song, but those awards went to the songwriters, not the singers, as Celebrity Net Worth points out. Bryson was the performer, not the writer, so he did not collect songwriting royalties on them.

Songwriting and production

He did write and produce early in his career. Atlanta's Bang Records first signed him as a writer, producer and arranger before he recorded as a solo artist, and his 1976 debut album Peabo came out on that label (Celebrity Net Worth).

Touring and stage

He toured steadily for decades and appeared in stage productions including Raisin, The Wiz and Porgy and Bess (NPR/AP). He was still performing at festivals in the 2010s.

Career timeline

Bryson was born Robert Peapo Bryson on April 13, 1951, in Greenville, South Carolina, and grew up on his grandparents' farm in nearby Mauldin. His stage name came from bandleader Moses Dillard, who struggled with his middle name (Celebrity Net Worth).

The tax problem

The IRS case is the clearest reason his estate is modest. In 2003 Bryson was reported to owe more than $1.2 million in taxes. Agents seized items from his home in Atlanta, among them a grand piano, hundreds of pairs of shoes, a key to the city of Miami and both Grammy Awards. Many items were sold at auction. According to Celebrity Net Worth, friends bought the Grammys and returned them to him.

A seizure like this wipes out savings and possessions at the same time, which is hard to rebuild from in a late career. Bryson's later work, including tours and two albums after 2003, kept him earning but did not return him to the sales levels of the 1980s and early 1990s.

Health and death (2019–2026)

• 2019. He had a heart attack and made a full recovery (NPR/AP).
• May 28, 2026. He suffered a stroke and was placed under medical care (Celebrity Net Worth).
• June 2, 2026. His family announced his death at 75. Variety reported that no cause was given in the statement, which described him as a two-time Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and balladeer.

Search interest in his name peaked in the week of his death.

Assets and estate

No outlet has reported the contents of his will or estate. What is known: he was married to Tanya Boniface, a former member of the British group the 411, with whom he had a son, and he had a daughter from an earlier relationship (Celebrity Net Worth). His ongoing value lies mostly in performer royalties from his recordings, which continue to be played, especially the Disney songs. How those rights are held has not been made public.

Net worth compared

Celebrity Net Worth estimates for his best-known duet partners:

Flack's larger figure reflects her songwriting and her own chart-topping catalog. For other veteran entertainers on this site, see Wayne Newton, Scotty McCreery and Eddie Murphy.

Why estimates differ

Some sites list Bryson at several times the $2.5 million figure. The gap usually comes from:

1. Counting hits as income. A No. 1 song does not mean large royalties for the singer if he did not write it, and he did not write either Disney duet.
2. Ignoring the IRS case. A $1.2 million tax debt and the forced sale of his possessions cut deeply into his wealth, and many profiles leave it out.
3. No public estate filing. Until an estate is probated and reported, any number is an estimate.

This article uses Celebrity Net Worth's $2.5 million because it was updated on the day of his death and accounts for his tax history. It should be read as an outside estimate, not a figure from his family.