"The Godfather of neo-soul" Roy Ayers dies aged 84

Musician, producer, and pioneer of jazz-funk Roy Ayers has died at age 84.

"It is with great sadness that the family of legendary vibraphonist, composer and producer Roy Ayers announce his passing which occurred on March 4th, 2025 in New York City after a long illness," A post to his official Instagram reads. "He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed."

 

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Ayers, throughout his career, established himself as a strong influence on jazz-funk and the neo-soul movement, which earned him the nickname "The Godfather of neo-soul." His lengthy discography has been sampled hundreds of times by artists like 2Pac, Mary J. Blige, Tyler the Creator, and many more.

He is most well known for the hit track 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine', recorded with his band Roy Ayers Ubiquity in 1976.

"I knew people would connect to it because everybody loves sunshine," Ayers said in 2017. "It just felt like the perfect song."

"The song changed everything for me," he added.

Born in Los Angeles in 1940, Ayers began playing music at a young age, and studied advanced music theory at Los Angeles City College.

A highly prolific artist, Ayers released dozens of albums since his debut in 1963, and founded two record labels - Uno Melodic and Gold Mink Records.

His final solo album, Mahogany Vibe, came out in 2004, though he continued to perform live and participate in collaborative works.