A public viewing for Cavin Yarbrough, the Dallas-born R&B singer who died on June 19, has been scheduled for Sunday at Fair Park’s Hall of State, according to his obituary.
Yarbrough was 72.
His wife, Alisa Peoples, confirmed his death, citing complications from heart disease, in a statement posted to Instagram by family representative Michele Elyzabeth.
“He was the love of my life, my protector. Now he’s my guardian angel,” the statement said.
Yarbrough and Peoples, who formed the eponymous R&B duo, rose to fame in the ’80s with their song “Don’t Stop The Music.”
The couple grew up together, attending the same church and taking lessons from the same music teacher, according to a resolution adopted by the Texas legislature in 2021 honoring the duo.
In 1979, they left Dallas, driving to Los Angeles to pursue their career in Yarbrough’s black Volkswagen, according to a 1995 news release from the then-called Junior Black Academy of Arts and Letters.
“Live performances are a large part of our musical career. When we are on stage, we get an opportunity to make it a party instead of just another performance,” Yarbrough said at that time.
In the years after the duo’s hit single, Yarbrough was active in the theater world. He arranged music for a production based on the life of the Texas-born blues luminary Blind Lemon Jefferson called Blind Lemon Blues. He also played Jefferson’s friend and fellow musician, Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, in the musical, The News reported in 2004.
There will also be a celebration of life for Yarbrough on Monday at 11 a.m., hosted by the Black Academy of Arts and Letters.
