Vibraphonist Roy Ayers, an influential band leader and pioneering composer and producer of jazz, funk, soul and R&B, has died.
Ayers, who is known for the celebrated song “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” died Tuesday, his family announced Wednesday.
He was 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,” they said in a statement on his social media accounts. “He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed.”
Ayers was recognized for his trailblazing jazz-funk music that opened doors to acid jazz and neo-soul.
The Los Angeles native, known as the Godfather of Neo-Soul, released the album “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” with his group Roy Ayers Ubiquity in 1976.
The title song, which became as omnipresent and vital as sunshine itself, would live on both in its original form and through endless sampling in hip-hop and R&B.
Mary J. Blige’s “My Life” (1994), Dr. Dre’s “My Life (Smoking Weed For Hours)” (an unofficial release from 1995) and “Sunshine” (1995) from New Jersey’s own Naughty by Nature are just some examples of the many.
In a 2017 interview with The Guardian, Ayers recalled the night he recorded “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” at Electric Lady Studios in New York after coming up with the lyrics on a hot, sunny day. He said the song “changed everything” for him.
“It was so spontaneous,” Ayers said. “It felt wonderful. And I knew exactly how I wanted it to sound: a mix of vibraphone, piano and a synthesiser. We recorded it at night, so the sun was down, but the vibe in the studio was really nice. Pure vibes.”
Roy Ayers leading his quartet on the vibraphone at Central Park SummerStage in 2017.Jack Vartoogian | Getty Images
RAMP (Roy Ayers Music Productions), a group founded by Ayers in 1976, has also been widely sampled in songs like A Tribe Called Quest’s “Bonita Applebum” (1990).
Ayers released 33 studio albums and many more albums with other artists, including the 2020 collaboration “Jazz is Dead 002” with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad.
He is also known for his work composing and performing the soundtrack of the 1973 Pam Grier movie “Coffey."
Over the last decade, Ayers collaborated with artists including Tyler, The Creator and Alicia Keys.
Variety reports that he is survived by his wife, Argerie, and their children Mtume and Ayana Ayers.
Stories by Amy Kuperinsky
Thank you for reading. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.
Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup on Twitter/X, @amykup.bsky.social on Bluesky and @kupamy on Instagram and Threads.