Cavin Yarbrough of Yarbrough & Peoples Dies at 72

Cavin Yarbrough, one-half of the chart-topping R&B duo Yarbrough & Peoples, has died at the age of 72, his wife and musical partner Alisa Peoples confirmed Saturday. The Dallas native passed away suddenly, just a day after showing no signs of illness and making plans to celebrate his wife’s upcoming birthday. A public celebration of life will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, hosted by the Black Academy of Arts and Letters.
Yarbrough rose to fame in 1980 with the release of “Don’t Stop the Music,” a funky, infectious anthem from the duo’s debut album The Two of Us. The single soared to No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and became a defining track of the early ’80s music scene. The pair followed up their breakout success with more hits throughout the decade, including “Heartbeats,” “Don’t Waste Your Time,” “Guilty,” and “I Wouldn’t Lie.”
A classically trained pianist, Yarbrough met Alisa Peoples during childhood piano lessons, a shared musical foundation that would lead to a long-lasting creative and personal partnership. With early support from Charlie Wilson of The Gap Band, the duo signed to Total Experience Records and thrived on the R&B charts. After stepping away from the industry spotlight in 1987, the couple married and returned to Dallas, where they launched a production company and served as music directors at their church, continuing to nurture musical talent and community spirit.







