A hitmaker in the charts and Hollywood

JAMES INGRAM was a Grammywinning and Oscarnominated R&B singer of the 1980s and 1990s.

Ingram (66), who died in January, is known for hits including Baby Come To Me

and I Don’t Have A Heart.

Longtime friend and Grey’s Anatomy actress Debbie Allen paid tribute to Ingram.

‘‘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,’’ she tweeted.

‘‘I am blessed to have been so close. We will forever speak his name.’’

Ohioborn Ingram earned 14 Grammy nominations throughout his career, winning best male R&B vocal performance in 1982 for One Hundred Ways and best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals for Yah Mo B There,

a duet with Michael McDonald, in 1985.

He was known for his soundtrack work, most notably a duet with Linda Ronstadt on Somewhere Out There, for the 1986 animated film An American Tail, which won the Grammy for song of the year (with the award going to songwriters James Horner and Cynthia Weil).

His Oscar nominations for best original song came in 199495 for his theme songs from Beethoven’s 2nd and Junior.

Ingram was born in Akron, Ohio, on February 16, 1952. At 10, he went to live with his grandmother, later attending Akron’s East High School and the University of Akron.

Subsequently, he moved to Los Angeles and played with the band Revelation Funk, which made an appearance in the Rudy Ray Moore film Dolemite.

He also later played keyboards for Ray Charles — PA/Wikipedia