2025 has had its share of celebrity deaths as many famous and prominent Black celebrities such as Angie Stone, Roberta Flack, Sam Moore and Irv Gotti have passed away. Roy Ayers has joined the list at 84-years-old.
The family of Ayers announced his passing in a statement on social media: “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,” the statement reads. “He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed.”
Ayers was born in Los Angeles in 1940. Bandleader and jazz musician Lionel Hampton gave
Ayers his first pair of vibraphone mallets at a concert when he was just 5. He attended Los Angeles City College, studying advanced music theory. In the 1960s, he recorded with saxophonist Curtis Amy before releasing his debut album, ‘West Coast Vibes,’ in 1963.
Throughout the decades, he collaborated with other artists and worked on his solo projects; in 1973, he wrote and produced the soundtrack to the Blaxploitation film “Coffy” starring Pam Grier. He then formed the band Roy Ayers Ubiquity, scoring a hit with the 1976 track “Everybody Loves The Sunshine.”
“If I didn’t have music, I wouldn’t even want to be here,” Ayers told the Los Angeles Times in 2011. “It’s like an escape when there is no escape. An escape for temporary moments.”
Ayers was known as the “Godfather of Neo-soul,” receiving that nickname from collaborator Erykah Budu. Ayers influenced generations of musicians, with artists still using his music as samples and inspiration. Hip-hop production stalwarts such as J. Dilla, Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, Madlib, Tyler the Creator, Mary J. Blige, D’Angelo, A Tribe Called Quest, Dr. Dre, among others, have used his music. “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” has more than 130 million streams on Spotify and has been remixed and covered by artists like Mary J. Blige and Tupac.
In an interview with Dummy in 2016, Ayers said, “It’s wonderful, the desire young people express for my music. It’s wonderful because I’m still growing in popularity.”
Rolling Stone magazine described Ayers’ music as a sound “that wove lush soul, elastic jazz, and tight funk.”
“His family asks that you respect their privacy at this time,” the Facebook statement said. “A celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming.”