(CNN) James Ingram, the soulful, smooth voice behind R&B hits like "Just Once" and "I Don't Have The Heart," has died at the age of 66.

Ingram's longtime friend and creative partner, Debbie Allen, confirmed the news of his passing to CNN on Tuesday.

"I have lost my dearest friend and creative partner James Ingram to the Celestial Choir," Allen wrote in a tribute on Twitter. "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."

I have lost my dearest friend and creative partner James Ingram to the Celestial Choir. 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.❤️ pic.twitter.com/TDJfpbbJWa — Debbie Allen (@msdebbieallen) January 29, 2019

The cause of Ingram's death was not revealed.

Ingram, an Ohio native, got his start as a musician with the band Revelation Funk and later played keyboards for Ray Charles. He was nominated for 14 Grammy Awards, winning for best male R&B performance for his song "One Hundred Ways" in 1981 and best R&B performance for a duo or group in 1984 for "Yah Mo B There."

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