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Music producer and vibraphonist Roy Ayers has passed away aged 84. His family confirmed the news on social media platforms and with Variety. The music composer was best known for his hit track Everybody Loves the Sunshine (1976), with several other artists also sampling his music.
Roy Ayers’ family shared that he died on Tuesday, March 4 in New York City after suffering from a long illness. The statement uploaded on his official social media pages, including Instagram, read:
“It is with great sadness that the family of legendary vibraphonist Roy Ayers announce his passing on March 4th, 2025 in New York City. He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed. A celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming.”
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While describing the American funk and soul music composer, his family told Variety that he was “highly influential and sought after as a music collaborator.”
Roy Ayers is survived by his wife, Argerie, and their children, Ayana and Mtume Ayers. As per The Tennessean, Ayers also had a son, Nabil Ayers, with Louise Braufman.
More about Roy Ayers’ relationship with Nabil following the musician’s passing
Nabil Ayers, the son of Roy Ayers and Louise Braufman, is the president of the record label Beggars Group US and its other division, The Control Group/Valley of Search. The Tennessean reported in February 2023 that Braufman, a Caucasian ballerina dancer, decided to have a child with Roy Ayers and the pair agreed that the latter would not be a part of the child’s life.
Speaking about the same in an October 2023 interview with Capital City Hues, Nabil Ayers said:
“I never knew my father, but there was never any negative image of him. He never left us. There was no divorce.”
He shared with the news outlet that he had crossed paths with Roy Ayers at certain points.
“There were a few times when I was a kid when I ran into him and had really brief interactions. One of those times, I didn’t even know who he was. My uncle had to tell me afterwards to whom we had just been talking,” Nabil said.
He further explained that they also had lunch together once. Although the meeting ended on a good note where they could speak without airing any grievances, the two did not keep in touch afterward. Nabil Ayers said:
“All I thought was that it would be great to do this every six months or a year or when he was in Seattle or when I was in New York. I traveled a lot. We could just have lunch or coffee and hopefully he would tell me a little bit more about my family. But once I started to try to do that, that’s when it kind of fell apart for me."
Nabil continued:
"I would go to New York. I was there all the time. I would call him. He would either not pick up the phone or he would be really quick on the phone and say he had to go and we could never meet. After several times, it became very obvious."
Meanwhile, not much is known about Roy’s life with Argerie and his other children.
About Roy Ayers as the Los Angeles-born artist passes away
As per Variety on March 5, Roy Ayers was born in Los Angeles in 1940. He decided to take on vibraphone after being inspired by Lionel Hampton’s Big Band at the age of 5.
Further, at the age of 17, he attended Los Angeles City College to study advanced music theory. He entered the music scene and made his recording debut in the early 1960s with saxophonist Curtis Amy.
Ayers went on to release his debut album West Coast Vibes in 1963, after signing a contract with the music label United Artists.
In the early 1970s, he formed his own band called Roy Ayers Ubiquity, which was responsible for the big hit Everybody Loves the Sunshine. The song currently holds over 130 million streams on Spotify.
As decades passed, he released several solo albums, including Mahogany Vibe, Virgo Vibes, Daddy Bug, and Stoned Soul Picnic.
Ayers went on to become a pioneer of jazz-funk and was highly influential in the neo-soul movement. His music has been sampled by the likes of Mary J. Blige, Tyler, the Creator, Kanye West, and Common, among others.
