The American jazz-funk pioneer Roy Ayers passed away in New York on Tuesday at the age of 84 following a long illness, his family announced on the artist’s social media on Wednesday.
"He will be greatly missed," his relatives wrote in their message, requesting privacy and ensuring that a celebration of 'Roy’s life' will be organised soon.
Roy Ayers was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1940. He began playing the vibraphone at age 17 and released his first album in 1963, followed by dozens more, both solo and with the jazz-fusion group Roy Ayers Ubiquity.
The multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer also collaborated with Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti and hip-hop artist Guru.
His most famous track, Everybody Loves the Sunshine, was released in 1976. A sample of this song was used in the RnB singer Mary J. Blige’s My Life.
Other renowned artists, such as Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye West, have also sampled Roy Ayers’ music.
