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Jazz-funk pioneer Roy Ayers dies at 84 in New York City

Roy Ayers, renowned vibraphonist, composer, and producer, passed away at the age of 84 in New York City on March 4, 2025, according to his family.
Ayers blended jazz, soul, and R&B, shaping acid jazz and influencing artists such as A Tribe Called Quest and Kendrick Lamar.
His contributions included over 30 albums and iconic compositions like Everybody Loves the Sunshine, which influenced many artists.
The family has requested privacy and announced that a celebration of Roy's life will take place soon.

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News One

Essential Roy Ayers Songs Sampled By Hip-Hop And R&B

Roy Ayers, the towering jazz legend whose songs reverberated throughout the entire scope of music, passed away this week at 84, leaving behind a massive library of sounds. Throughout his long career, Roy Ayers’s music has been sampled several times, and we have eight essential songs from Ayers that were sampled by Hip-Hop and R&B stars. According to reports, Roy Ayers passed away on Tuesday (March 4) after a long illness. In the early 1970s, Aye…

8 days ago

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Times of Malta

+12 Reposted by 12 other sources

Roy Ayers, godfather of neo-soul, dead at 84

Roy Ayers, the trailblazer of jazz, funk and neo-soul whose Everybody Loves the Sunshine proved a hugely popular hip-hop sample, has died. He was 84 years old.The artist’s family shared the news in a Facebook post, saying the vibraphonist, composer and producer died in New York on March 4 following a long illness.“He lived a...

8 days ago

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fredericksburg.com

Jazz legend Roy Ayers dies at 84

NEW YORK — Roy Ayers, a legendary jazz vibraphonist, keyboardist, composer and vocalist known for his spacy, funky 1976 hit "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" has died. The Ayers family says in a Facebook post that he died Tuesday. Ayers' music…

8 days ago·Cherokee County, United States

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Boing Boing

Roy Ayers, soul-jazz pioneer who sang "Everybody Loves the Sunshine," RIP

Vibraphonist and soul jazz pioneer Roy Ayers died on Tuesday at age 84. His stunning 1976 anthem "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" has been sampled hundreds of times by artists from Tupac Shakur to Mary J. Blige and Snoop Dogg. Watch a live version below from Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Basement Sessions. — Read the rest The post Roy Ayers, soul-jazz pioneer who sang "Everybody Loves the Sunshine," RIP appeared first on Boing Boing.

8 days ago·United States

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NZ Herald

‘Tremendous power’: Funk legend Roy Ayers dies

The vibraphonist, producer and composer played on some of the hardest-grooving soul jazz of the 1960s before becoming a crossover jazz-funk hitmaker in the...

8 days ago·Auckland, New Zealand

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