Yarbrough & Peoples

Biography

Cavin Leon Yarbrough (January 22, 1954 – June 19, 2025) and Alisa Delois Peoples (born June 29, 1957) were an American R&B duo from Dallas, Texas, who rose to fame in the early 1980s with their innovative post-disco and funk sound. Both grew up in musical families in Dallas, where they met as children taking piano lessons—Yarbrough at age 15 and Peoples at age 5. Yarbrough began his career young, performing on the road with bands, including stints with rock artists like Leon Russell and Joe Cocker, though his heart remained in R&B. After college, Peoples pursued a business career while Yarbrough played keyboards and sang in the band Grand Theft, later joined by Peoples for local performances.[1][2][3]

Their breakthrough came in 1980 when the Gap Band's Charlie Wilson played their demo tape to manager Lonnie Simmons of Total Experience Records during a Dallas gig. Impressed by their talent and demeanor, Simmons signed them, pairing them with producer Jonah Ellis. Their debut single 'Don't Stop the Music' (1981), co-written by Peoples, topped the R&B chart for five weeks, reaching No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, and propelled their gold-certified album The Two of Us to No. 16 on the R&B albums chart. The duo, who married during the 1980s, released follow-ups like The Third Degree (1981), Heartbeats (1982) with hits 'Heartbeats' (No. 10 R&B) and 'Feels So Good' (No. 20 R&B), Be a Winner (1984) featuring the No. 1 R&B 'Don't Waste Your Time,' and Guilty (1985) with the No. 2 R&B title track, showcasing their versatility in uptempo funk and ballads.[1][2][3]

After Total Experience folded in the late 1980s, the couple returned to Texas, leaning on faith and church involvement amid personal losses like Yarbrough's father's passing. They continued performing, acting in three films, touring worldwide, and working independently after leaving the label without financial gain. Genres like post-disco and funk defined their synth-driven, ahead-of-its-time style, influencing electronic dance music. In later years, they planned a new album and a book about their lives, maintaining their legacy as a power couple in urban contemporary music.[1][2]

Fun Facts

• They met as children in Dallas taking piano lessons, with Peoples starting at age 5 and Yarbrough pursuing music from age 15, including rock tours with Leon Russell and Joe Cocker before focusing on R&B.[2]
• Their hit 'Don't Stop the Music' was initially a demo filler track retitled and produced with a drum machine and live drummer Jonathan Moffett, inheriting the No. 1 R&B spot from the Gap Band.[1]
• The duo married sometime in the 1980s, left Total Experience empty-handed without even their wardrobe, and later acted in three movies while planning a joint book and new album.[2]
• They performed 'Christmas Dreams' on the 1984 multi-artist album A Total Experience Christmas and worked with Donny and Marie Osmond in Utah around the time of Yarbrough's father's passing.[1][2]

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Lonnie Simmons - Manager and producer who signed them to Total Experience Records after hearing their demo via Charlie Wilson (The Two of Us (1981), Don't Stop the Music) [1980-1985]
• Jonah Ellis - Key producer who shaped their early hits (Don't Stop the Music, The Two of Us, Be a Winner) [1980-1984]
• Charlie Wilson (Gap Band) - Introduced them to Lonnie Simmons, sparking their major label career (Demo leading to Don't Stop the Music) [1980]

Key Collaborators

• Alisa Peoples (for Cavin Yarbrough) - Duo partner, wife, co-writer, and vocalist (All albums including The Two of Us, Guilty) [1980-1987, ongoing]
• Grand Theft - Band where Yarbrough played keyboards and sang, later joined by Peoples (Local performances pre-fame) [Late 1970s]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia