By Alex Young
James Ingram, the Ohio-born R&B singer whose soulful baritone voice dominated the charts throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, has died at the age of 66.
Over the course of his career, Ingram achieved eight Top 40 hits, two of which — his 1982 duet with Patti Austin, “Baby, Come to Me” and 1990’s “I Don’t Have the Heart” — went No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Another one of notable hits, a collaboration with Linda Ronstadt called “Somewhere Out There”, peaked at No. 2, while his songs “One Hundred Wats” and “Yah Mo B There” featuring Michael McDonald earned him Grammys for Best R&B Vocal Performance.
Ingram also co-wrote “The Day I Fall in Love”, from the film Beethoven’s 2nd, and Patty Smyth’s “Look What Love Has Done”, from the movie Junior, earning him back-to-back Oscar for Best Original Song in 1994 and 1995.
Debbie Allen, Ingram’s friend and longtime creative partner, confirmed news of his passing. “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,” Allen said in a statement posted to Twitter.
This is a developing story…
