Photo Credit: Roy Ayers by Stuart Sevastos / CC by 2.0
Roy Ayers, the composer, producer, and jazz-funk trailblazer behind the classic, ‘Everybody Loves the Sunshine,’ has died at age 84.
Roy Ayers died Tuesday in New York City after a long illness, according to a statement on his Facebook page. A vibraphonist, composer, and pioneer of jazz-funk, Ayers was best known for the classic, “Everybody Loves the Sunshine.”
“It is with great sadness that the family of legendary vibraphonist, composer, and producer Roy Ayers announce his passing which occurred on March 4, 2025, in New York City after a long illness,” the statement reads. “He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed. His family ask that you respect their privacy at this time; a celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming.”
Ayers was born in Los Angeles on September 10, 1940. His family was extremely musical; at only five years old, Ayers “boogie’d so hard” at a Lionel Hampton concert that the vibraphonist handed him his first pair of mallets.
“At the time, my mother and father told me he laid some spiritual vibes on me,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 2011.
In the 1960s, Ayers got into LA’s hard-bop scene of the era, but it was the sound of the 1970s that gave him his signature sound. His 1970 album, Ubiquity, became the name of his band for the rest of the decade. Roy Ayers Ubiquity combined soulful horns, funk grooves, and jazz improvisation.
The 1976 release of “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” became a staple of Ayers’ live performances for decades. The title track has been covered by artists including D’Angelo, Japanese jazz trumpeter Takaya Kuroda, and the Robert Glasper Experiment. It has also been sampled hundreds of times by artists like Tupac Shakur, Mary J. Blige, and Dr. Dre.
“It’s wonderful, the desire young people express for my music,” Ayers said in 2016. “It’s wonderful because I’m still growing in popularity.”
Ayers enjoyed numerous studio collaborations with new generations of musicians, including Alicia Keys, The Roots, Tyler the Creator, and Erykah Badu. Badu has called Ayers the “king of neo-soul.” His music has also been sampled over the years by the likes of Rick James, Pharrell Williams, A Tribe Called Quest, and many more.
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