Somewhere Out There Tears Are Shed: James Ingram Dies at 66
The world has lost yet another legendary voice. James Ingram, the soulful, smooth voice behind R&B hits like Just Once and I Don’t Have The Heart, has died at the age of 66.
Ingram’s longtime friend and creative partner, Debbie Allen, confirmed the news of his passing.
“I have lost my dearest friend and creative partner James Ingram to the Celestial Choir,” Allen wrote in a tribute on Twitter. “He will always be cherished, loved and remembered for his genius, his love of family and his humanity. I am blessed to have been so close. We will forever speak his name.”
Other tributes have been pouring in, including one by music legend Quincy Jones:
There are no words to convey how much my ❤️ aches with the news of the passing of my baby brother, James Ingram. With that soulful, whisky sounding voice, James was simply magical. He was, & always will be, beyond compare. Rest In Peace my baby bro…You’ll be in my ❤️ forever pic.twitter.com/oZtA9h8uZR
— Quincy Jones (@QuincyDJones) January 29, 2019
Creator, writer and producer of of popular TV series like Grey’s Anatomy andScandal, Shonda Rhimes, tweeted:
Sending you love. Today the world lost a genius. James Ingram was a musician, artist, and humanitarian. He will be remembered for his brilliance and kind heart. https://t.co/t8JtEpygKO
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) January 29, 2019
Hitmaker Richard Marx and singer of hits such as Right Here Waiting and Endless Summer Nights said:
RIP sweet James Ingram. Hearing your voice sing words and notes I made up is a gift I will cherish always. And I will never forget the laughs.
— Richard Marx (@richardmarx) January 29, 2019
The cause of Ingram’s death was not revealed.
Ingram, an Ohio native, got his start as a musician with the band Revelation Funk and later played keyboards for Ray Charles. He was nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, winning for best male R&B performance for his song One Hundred Ways in 1981 and best R&B performance for a duo or group in 1984 for Yah Mo B There.
His duet with Patti Austin, How Do You Keep the Music Playing, earned an Oscar nomination for best original song in 1983.
Over the course of his career, Ingram also had successful collaborations with Linda Rondstadt, Quincy Jones, Barry White and Dolly Parton.
He co-wrote Michael Jackson’s hit song P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) with Jones.
Ingram was also nominated for two Golden Globe Awards — one in 1994 for best original song for The Day I Fall in Love and again in the same category the following year for Look What Love Has Done.
Source: CNN International
