AARP Hearing Center
Peabo Bryson performs in Michigan in 2022. The Grammy-winning singer has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke.
Scott Legato/Getty Images
Key takeaways
- Bryson, 75, is in a hospital following a stroke. No details on its type, its severity or his prognosis have been released.
- Stroke risk roughly doubles every decade after 55, and most of the biggest risk factors, from blood pressure to atrial fibrillation, can be managed with a primary care doctor.
- Learn BE FAST, the acronym that highlights the signs of a stroke.
R&B singer Peabo Bryson, 75, is under medical care after a stroke, his representative said Sunday in a statement to Variety. His family asked for privacy while he is being treated, and no details have been released on the type of stroke, its severity or his prognosis.
Bryson’s voice carried two of the biggest movie duets of the 1990s. “Beauty and the Beast,” with Celine Dion, won him a Grammy in 1993. “A Whole New World (Aladdin’s Theme),” with Regina Belle, won him another Grammy the next year.
His career started long before the Disney ballads. He came up in South Carolina in the 1970s and released his first album in 1976. The hits followed, from “Feel the Fire” to “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love” (with Roberta Flack) and, in 1984, his first top 10 pop single, “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again.”
Bryson is now in his 70s, when strokes are far more common. The risk roughly doubles every decade after 55, the American Medical Association said this year, and someone in the U.S. has a stroke about every 40 seconds. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, excess weight, smoking, alcohol, diet and the irregular heart rhythm known as atrial fibrillation can increase the odds of having a stroke.
The signs of a stroke can come without warning, and a single one is reason enough to act. Doctors teach the acronym BE FAST, which stands for the following:
- B: Balance, a sudden loss of coordination or unsteadiness
- E: Eyes, blurriness, sudden vision loss or double vision
- F: Face, drooping on one side
- A: Arm, weakness in an arm or leg on one side
- S: Speech, words that come out slurred or garbled
- T: Time, call 911 the moment you see any signs
A stroke happens when a clot blocks blood flow to the brain or when a vessel in the brain bursts. Either way, it’s minutes that decide the outcome. Call 911 immediately rather than driving, AARP experts advise, because paramedics begin assessment on the way, can alert the hospital stroke team and know which centers are equipped to treat a stroke.
Know your risk
After Bryson’s stroke hospitalization, many adults 50-plus may be thinking about their own risk factors. AARP columnist Dr. Adam Rosenbluth explains what raises stroke risk, what you can control and the warning signs that mean it is time to call 911.
Recovery is rarely quick. A stroke can affect speech, memory, vision and movement, and the survivor often depends on a caregiver for months or years. Experts who spoke with AARP stress one point for anyone in that role: do not try to do it alone.
“Even with the best intentions and the highest level of motivation, no one can be a 24-hour caregiver,” rehabilitation psychologist Efrat Hedges Eichenbaum told AARP. Support groups, therapists and a steady daily routine all ease the load.
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