Cavin Yarbrough, Half of R&B Duo Yarbrough & Peoples, Dies at 72

Cavin Yarbrough, half of the 1980s R&B duo Yarbrough & Peoples, has died at the age of 72.

The singer-musician-producer passed away on Thursday (June 19) owing to complications from heart disease. “He was the love of my life, my protector. Now he’s my guardian angel,” Yarbrough’s wife and longtime music partner, Alisa Peoples, said in a statement.

Yarbrough & Peoples are best known for their crossover dance/funk hit “Don’t Stop the Music.” Released in 1980, the song spent five weeks at No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in 1981 and also reached No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The RIAA gold-certified single was featured on the pair’s also gold-certified debut album, The Two of Us. The album also reached No. 1 for two weeks on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 16 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

The duo went on to score another Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with “Don’t Waste Your Time” in 1984. Its engaging mix of R&B, soul, funk, pop and dance — graced by its smooth and spirited vocals — also sparked three additional top 10s on the chart during the pair’s ’80s heyday: “Heartbeats,” “Guilty” and “I Wouldn’t Lie.”

Born in Dallas, Yarbrough was a classically trained pianist who first met fellow Dallas native Peoples as youngsters taking piano lessons. The pair’s friendship and creative bond later led to establishing their own band. It was Charlie Wilson of The Gap Band who discovered Yarbrough & Peoples. He brought them to the attention of Lonnie Simmons, who signed them to his Los Angeles-based label, Total Experience Records.

“Cavin was not only an extraordinary talent, but a kind man with a great heart,” said longtime friend Michele Elyzabeth, who also served as Yarbrough & Peoples’ PR representative for more than 40 years. “His legacy will live on in the music, in our memories and in the hearts of everyone who knew him.”