Multi-Grammy and Oscar-Winning Soul/R&B/Quiet Storm Vocalist Peabo Bryson Performs as Part of the August Wilson African-American Cultural Center’s Soul Sessions, Saturday, February 11, 2023, 8:00 pm
PITTSBURGH, PA, December 5, 2022 – Since his debut in 1976, singer/songwriter Peabo Bryson has been one of the most well-loved and artistically well-traveled vocalists of his era. Bryson brings his incredible catalog and his towering, tenor voice to the August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC), 980 Liberty Ave., Saturday, February 11, 8:00 pm, to perform as part of Soul Sessions, the Center’s series of intimate concerts featuring some of today’s most talented artists, live in the theater of the AWAAC. Tickets are available at www.awaacc.org.
Soul Sessions kicked off in October with Afropop diva Angélique Kidjo and continues with the soulful singer/multi-instrumentalist Meshell Ndegeocello on March 10 followed by Stokley, R & B singer and long-time leader of Mint Condition on April 5.
With 20 albums to his credit, Bryson’s chart-topping singles include, “Feel the Fire,” "Reaching for the Sky," "I'm So into You,” "Let the Feeling Flow" and "Can You Stop the Rain?.” He was also the most in-demand artist when it came to duets, as evidenced by his critically-acclaimed collaborations with Roberta Flack on “Tonight I Celebrate my Love,” “Here We Go,” with Minnie Riperton, “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion and “A Whole New World,” with Regina Belle.
A self-described “Gentleman of Soul,” Bryson attributes his popularity to hard work and to his ability to project sincerity and experience in his music. “I am my work – the accumulation of all the characters in all of my songs seen through different perspectives,” Bryson told Jet magazine. “I project all the images, because I’ve personally played all of the roles.”
Born on April 13, 1951 in Greenville, South Carolina, Bryson was exposed to music as a toddler when his mother took him to concerts to hear all of the masters. At the age of 14, he joined the local group, Al Freeman and the Upsetters, as a backup singer and sang with another hometown group, Moses Dillard and his Tex-Town Display.
After the release of his debut album, Peabo, in 1976, Bryson would become a key, transitional figure when soul and R&B genres merged into the burgeoning Quiet Storm radio format. A mainstay on Black, pop and adult contemporary charts, Bryson won two Grammy Awards in the category of Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocal in 1992 for title song from the film, Beauty and the Beast with Celine Dion, and in 1993, with Regina Belle for "A Whole New World,” from the film Aladdin. Both songs won Oscars for Best Original Song. Bryson’s other duet partners included Melissa Manchester, Chaka Khan and saxophonist Kenny G.
With the talent and longevity of Bryson’s career, you’d expect him to have some complex formula for success. “There is no secret,” Bryson told The Philadelphia Tribune. “First of all, it’s all in the way you approach life. If you’ve received a gift, pay attention to it. Work with it. Immerse yourself with as much knowledge about it as you can. I think it’s just that simple.”
Head to AWAACC for an early Valentine’s Day celebration or an evening of beautiful R & B songs as Peabo Bryson immerses himself in his gift.
Ticket Prices are $58.00 - $68.00 and are available at www.awaacc.org.
About August Wilson African American Cultural Center:
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a non-profit cultural organization located in Pittsburgh’s cultural district that generates artistic, educational, and community initiatives that advance the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. One of the largest cultural centers in the country focused exclusively on the African American experience and the celebration of Black culture and the African diaspora, the non-profit organization welcomes more than 119,000 visitors locally and nationally. Through year-round programming across multiple genres, such as the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Black Bottom Film Festival, AWCommunity Days, TRUTHSayers speaker series, and rotating art exhibits in its galleries, the Center provides a platform for established and emerging artists of color whose work reflects the universal issues of identity that Wilson tackled, and which still resonate today. www.awaacc.org
With 20 albums to his credit, Bryson’s chart-topping singles include, “Feel the Fire,” "Reaching for the Sky," "I'm So into You,” "Let the Feeling Flow" and "Can You Stop the Rain?.” He was also the most in-demand artist when it came to duets, as evidenced by his critically-acclaimed collaborations with Roberta Flack on “Tonight I Celebrate my Love,” “Here We Go,” with Minnie Riperton, “Beauty and the Beast” with Celine Dion and “A Whole New World,” with Regina Belle.
A self-described “Gentleman of Soul,” Bryson attributes his popularity to hard work and to his ability to project sincerity and experience in his music. “I am my work – the accumulation of all the characters in all of my songs seen through different perspectives,” Bryson told Jet magazine. “I project all the images, because I’ve personally played all of the roles.”
Born on April 13, 1951 in Greenville, South Carolina, Bryson was exposed to music as a toddler when his mother took him to concerts to hear all of the masters. At the age of 14, he joined the local group, Al Freeman and the Upsetters, as a backup singer and sang with another hometown group, Moses Dillard and his Tex-Town Display.
After the release of his debut album, Peabo, in 1976, Bryson would become a key, transitional figure when soul and R&B genres merged into the burgeoning Quiet Storm radio format. A mainstay on Black, pop and adult contemporary charts, Bryson won two Grammy Awards in the category of Best Pop Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocal in 1992 for title song from the film, Beauty and the Beast with Celine Dion, and in 1993, with Regina Belle for "A Whole New World,” from the film Aladdin. Both songs won Oscars for Best Original Song. Bryson’s other duet partners included Melissa Manchester, Chaka Khan and saxophonist Kenny G.
With the talent and longevity of Bryson’s career, you’d expect him to have some complex formula for success. “There is no secret,” Bryson told The Philadelphia Tribune. “First of all, it’s all in the way you approach life. If you’ve received a gift, pay attention to it. Work with it. Immerse yourself with as much knowledge about it as you can. I think it’s just that simple.”
Head to AWAACC for an early Valentine’s Day celebration or an evening of beautiful R & B songs as Peabo Bryson immerses himself in his gift.
Ticket Prices are $58.00 - $68.00 and are available at www.awaacc.org.
About August Wilson African American Cultural Center:
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a non-profit cultural organization located in Pittsburgh’s cultural district that generates artistic, educational, and community initiatives that advance the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. One of the largest cultural centers in the country focused exclusively on the African American experience and the celebration of Black culture and the African diaspora, the non-profit organization welcomes more than 119,000 visitors locally and nationally. Through year-round programming across multiple genres, such as the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Black Bottom Film Festival, AWCommunity Days, TRUTHSayers speaker series, and rotating art exhibits in its galleries, the Center provides a platform for established and emerging artists of color whose work reflects the universal issues of identity that Wilson tackled, and which still resonate today. www.awaacc.org
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