James Ingram , a Grammy winner known for his soulful R & B hits , has died , his friends and colleagues said Tuesday. He was 66 years old.
“ I have lost my dearest friend and creative partner James Ingram to the Celestial Choir, ” performer Debbie Allen tweeted . “ He will always be cherished , loved and remembered for his genius, his love of family and his humanity. ”
A native of the US state of Ohio, Ingram launched his music career with the band Revelation Funk and later played keyboard for soul pioneer Ray Charles .
His rise to fame came after he lent his smooth vocals to the songs “ Just Once” and “ One Hundred Ways ” on an album recorded by industry legend Quincy Jones.
Ingram earned three Grammy nominations for the works , including Best New Artist , winning for Best Male R & B Vocal Performance in 1981.
With Jones, he also co -wrote Michael Jackson ’ s hit “ P . Y . T . ( Pretty Young Thing ) . ”
“ There are no words to convey how much my <3 aches , ” tweeted Jones. “ With that soulful , whisky sounding voice, James was simply magical. ”
“ He was , & always will be, beyond compare. ”
Over his career, Ingram was nominated for 14 Grammys along with two Golden Globes and two Oscars , one for his duet with singer Patti Austin, “ How Do you Keep the Music Playing?” that was featured in the movie “ Best Friends . ”
Ingram also joined singer Linda Ronstadt to perform the song “ Somewhere Out There” from the 1986 animated musical adventure film “ An American Tail, ” which sees a family of Jewish Russian mice flee to the United States.
He also collaborated with high -profile artists including Donna Summer, Viktor Lazlo and Natalie Cole.
“ Ingram ’ s rich voice and masterful songwriting has made a lasting impact on the music industry , ” the Recording Academy, the organization behind the Grammys , said in a statement . “ Our thoughts go out to his loved ones during this difficult time . ”
Source: Punchng
