Per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Peaston's niece Neuka Mitchell announced his death on Thursday, saying the crooner was surrounded by his wife and sons when he passed away at his home in St. Louis.

Peaston had the music gene from the start as the son of Martha Bass, who was a member of the Clara Ward Singers gospel group. His older sister, Fontella Bass, also had a top 10 hit in 1965 with the R&B classic, "Rescue Me."

Following in his family's footsteps and after a brief stint as a schoolteacher, the musician headed out to New York where he paid his dues doing session work for fellow gospel and R&B artists.

He first garnered solo attention after winning several competitions on TV's Showtime at the Apollo in the late '80s, particularly on the strength of his stellar rendition of "God Bless the Child." Such performances landed Peaston a recording contract with Geffen Records.