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Photo by Earl Gibson III/WireImage

R&B singer James Ingram has passed away after a battle with brain cancer, according to TMZ. The 66-year-old was one of the genre’s biggest stars in the 1980s and ’90s with hits like “Baby, Come to Me” with Patti Austinand “I Don’t Have the Heart.”

Debbie Allen took to social media to confirm his death and remember her close friend and creative partner.

The instrumentalist got his start with the band, Revelation Funk, then later transitioned to playing keyboard for Ray Charles. From 1982 through 1996, he was nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, won male vocal R&B performance for “One Hundred Ways,” and won R&B performance by a duo or group for “Yah Mo B There” with Michael McDonald. He was also well known for his soundtrack work, especially his duet with Linda Ronstadt on “Somewhere Out There” for the 1986 animated film “An American Tail.” Ingram was also nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, one for best original song for “The Day I Fall in Love” in 1994, and again in the same category the following year for “Look What Love Has Done.”

Not only could he belt out a tune, but James also co-wrote Michael Jackson‘s hit “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” and penned songs recorded by the Pointer Sisters, George Benson and Shalamar as well.

Although he had been toiling with this disease for quite some time, there are no details on his official cause of death, nor have funeral plans been released, according to CNN. In the past few months, the music industry has lost some of its greats like, Nancy Wilson, Aretha Franklin and Yvonne Staples.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the record producer’s family.

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