Los Angeles-born music icon Roy Ayers has died. Recognized as the “Godfather of Neo Soul,” the 84-year-old leaves behind a musical legacy that spans decades with influence on multiple genres and generations of talent. A specific cause of death was not revealed.
“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,” shared a Facebook post from his official account.
“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 Ayers of the Jazz in the Gardens Allstar Band performs onstage at the 10th Annual Jazz in the Gardens: Celebrating 10 Years of Great Music at Sun Life Stadium on March 22, 2015 in Miami Gardens, Florida.
Aaron Davidson/Getty Images for Jazz in the Gardens
Ayers was born on Sept. 10, 1940, to Ruby, a schoolteacher and local piano instructor, and Roy Sr., a sometimes-parking attendant and trombonist. According to his online biography, he began playing instruments himself by the age of five. By his teenage years, Ayers had managed to perform the piano, flute, steel guitar, trumpet, and drums before honing in on the vibraphone.
His first encounter with the vibraphone, sparking the curiosity that resulted in his lauded career, occurred when he was a small child, witnessing a concert featuring the great Lionel Hampton’s Big Band, where he was gifted a pair of vibe mallets by the performer. Still, Ayers did not get his first vibraphone until the age of 17. During his formative years, his parents prioritized education and he also participated in the church choir.
As a student at Thomas Jefferson High School, he formed his first musical group Jefferson Combo, later re-naming the group the Latin Lyrics. Ayers also studied under Bobby Hutcherson who lived in his neighborhood. After high school, Ayers attended Los Angeles City College where he studied advanced music theory before launching his professional career.
David Redfern/Redferns/Getty Images
Ayers released his debut album West Coast Vibes in 1963, and in the early 1970s, he formed his own band called Roy Ayers Ubiquity. His work includes releasing his own albums as well as the soundtrack for the 1973 Blaxploitation film Coffy, touring Nigeria with Fela Kuti, and producing albums for the likes of RAMP, Sylvia Striplin, and more.
The 1976 Roy Ayers Ubiquity album Everyone Loves The Sunshine, is most known for the title track, which has been sampled and covered by D’Angelo, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, the Robert Glasper Experiment, Common, Larry June, J. Cole, Joey Bada$$, Dreezy, Scarface, TLC, Big K.R.I.T., Smoke DZA, and more.
“I was writing songs so fast in those days. I was recording at Electric Lady in New York, which had been Jimi Hendrix’s studio. It was a beautiful, hot, sunny day and I just got this phrase in my head: ‘Everybody loves the sunshine.’ I started singing: ‘Feel what I feel, when I feel what I feel, what I’m feeling.’ Then I started thinking about summer imagery: ‘Folks get down in the sunshine, folks get brown in the sunshine, just bees and things and flowers,’” explained Ayers to The Guardian in 2017 of creating the limitless track.
He continued, “The song changed everything for me. It’s still the last song of my show. People always join in and it’s been sampled over 100 times, by everyone from Dr. Dre to Pharrell Williams. It seems to capture every generation. Everybody loves the sunshine – except Dracula.”
LONDON – JULY 8: Soul and jazz artist Roy Ayers performs live Rise: London United, an anti-racist festival to celebrate the London’s diversity, on July 8, 2006 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images)
His tracks ”Searchin”, and “Running Away” have also been frequently sampled and remixed by DJs worldwide in various genres. Ayers has collaborated with Erykah Badu, Tyler, The Creator, and The Roots, and helped to pioneer the neo-soul subgenre of traditional R&B.
“I like it because it’s better than saying I just play jazz, or I just play funk, or I just play blues, or whatever,” detailed Ayers in 2013 per USA Today. “I play neo-soul.” He noted Badu told him “Roy, you’re the king of neo-soul. It’s your music because you’re the one who started all of us doing it.’”
According to the outlet, Ayers’ last live shows were in 2023 when he set out on a “farewell tour,” however, it ended early due to complications with COVID-19.
“It’s wonderful, the desire young people express for my music. It’s wonderful because I’m still growing in popularity,” shared Ayers in 2016 with DummyMag.
He is survived by his wife Argerie, and their two children Mtume and Ayana Ayers. VIBE sends our condolences to the friends, family, and fans of Roy Ayers.
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