Grammy-winning R&B singer James Ingram has died, his friend Debbie Allen announced on Tuesday. He was 66.
"I have lost my dearest friend and creative partner James Ingram to the celestial choir," she tweeted. "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." The cause of death has not been released.
While working as a session keyboard player and singer in the early 1980s, one of Ingram's demos got into the hands of Quincy Jones, who asked Ingram to sing several songs on his album, The Dude. Ingram's breakout hit was his 1982 duet with Patti Austin, "Baby, Come to Me," and he co-wrote Michael Jackson's "P.Y.T." with Jones and appeared in the "We Are the World" video. He was also known for his soundtrack work, which brought him two Oscar nominations; Ingram sang "Somewhere Out There" with Linda Ronstadt for the 1986 movie An American Tail, and composed songs for Beethoven's 2nd, Beverly Hills Cop II, and Junior.