Jazz-funk pioneer Roy Ayers passed away in New York City on Tuesday after a long illness.
The legendary vibraphonist’s official Facebook page announced the sad news: ‘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.’
Roy and his group Roy Ayers Ubiquity scored their biggest hit in 1976 with Everybody Loves the Sunshine, which peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard 200 chart.
In 2016, Pitchfork ranked the track as one of the 200 top songs of the 1970s, writing: ‘This was not a song that was trying to hide, though it’s nimble enough that it could.’
Ayers released over 40 albums and collaborated with artists like Tyler the Creator, Erykah Badu, the Roots, Fela Kuti, Herbie Hancock, and Rick James.
The Los Angeles native’s music had a huge impact in the hip-hop community where he was sampled on Kendrick Lamar’s 2012 song Good Kid, Mary J. Blige’s 1994 hit My Life, A Tribe Called Quest’s 1990 song Bonita Applebum, and Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s 1995 hit Get Money.
Jazz-funk pioneer Roy Ayers passed away in New York City on Tuesday after a long illness (pictured in 2017)
The legendary vibraphonist’s official Facebook page announced the sad news: ‘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’
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