Roy AyersThe vibraphonist and musician known for songs such as “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” and his unmatched influence on jazz-Funk has died. He was 84 years old.
According to Penn liveAyers died on Tuesday at New York City After years of health struggles. His death was confirmed in a post to his Facebook page.
“It is very sad that the family of the legendary vibraphonist, composer and producer Roy Ayers announced his passage, which took place on March 4, 2025, in New York City after a long illness,” he read the publication. “He lived about 84 years and will miss himself. His family calls for his privacy at the moment. There will be a celebration of Roy’s life.”
Ayers was born in Los Angeles in September 1940 and found his love for music soon, Today.com reported. Told him to the Los Angeles Times In 2011, as a child, music was often “a getaway, temporarily.” The composer was inspired to play the vibrafon after seeing vibraphonist and percussionist Lionel Hampton and his band acting. When Ayers was 5 years old, Hampton gave him his first set of meshes to the Paramount Theater. Took the instrument 12 years later; The rest was history.
Ayers debuted in the recording in the early 1960’s, teaming with saxophonist Curtis Amy, Variety reported. He signed his first contract with Artists United and released his debut album, Vibrations of the West CoastIn 1963.
The composer collaborated with other talented jazz and funk musicians, including the Flutista Herbie Mann, with whom he recorded three albums for Atlantic Records: Vibres of virgo, Picnic soul stonedand Father’s bug. After that, he associated with Polydor Records and continued to make music.
The 1970’s saw that Ayers became a house name. It formed the Roy Ayers Ubiquity Band, known quickly for its unique jazz-Funk sound. Its largest success came in 1976 with “Everyfody Loves The Sunshine”, a song that inspired the album of the same name, released that year. The iconic song of the album title has been covered by artists such as Angelo, Jamie Cullum and Robert Glasper. Ayers also wrote and produced the soundtrack for ArkyA 1973 Blaxploitation movie starring PAM Grier.
Ayers continued to launch music over the last decades, forming two labels, Uno Melodic and Gold Mink Records. Released his solo album ending, Atmosphere of mahoganyIn 2004, with cameos by artists such as Betty Wright, Kamilah and Erykah Badu. He appeared in Tyler, the creator’s track “Find Your Wings” in 2015 and performed at Rapper’s Camp Flog Gnaw Festival two years later.
More recently, he associated with composer Adrian Younge and producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad Roy Ayers Jid002A joint album released on Muhammad’s record label, Jazz has diedIn 2020.
Ayers is survived by his wife, Argerie and his children, Mtuma and Ayana Ayers.
