R&B Legend James Ingram Passes Away At 66

’80s R n B legend, James Ingram has passed away from brain cancer.

The Grammy award winner died at the age of 66. His influence spans across generations with his songwriting from prominent artists like Ray Charles and Michael Jackson on top of his own hits.

His collaboration with Patti Austin, “Baby Come To Me,” may be the most popular of his chart-topping catalog.

Celebrities have taken out time to mourn Ingram’s passing with condolence messages, including his longtime friend Debbie Allen.

Quincy Jones, one of Ingram’s frequent collaborators, issued a statement in his honor saying: “There are no words to convey how much my heart aches with the news of the passing of my baby brother James Ingram,” Jones said. “With that soulful, whisky sounding voice, James Ingram was simply magical. From the minute I first heard his voice on the demo tape for ‘Just Once,’ to ‘One Hundred Ways,’ his classic duet with Patti Austin ‘How Do You Keep the Music Playing,’ ‘Secret Garden,’ ‘We Are the World,’ and all of our recordings, every beautiful note that James sang pierced your essence and comfortably made itself at home. But it was really no surprise because James was a beautiful human being, with a heart the size of the moon. James Ingram was, and always will be, beyond compare. Rest In Peace baby brother. You will be in my heart forever.”

RIP James Ingram!

By Oluwatoyin Adeleye