Roy Ayers, ‘Everybody Loves the Sunshine’ Musician and ‘Coffy’ Composer, Dies at 84
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Roy Ayers, the legendary jazz vibraphonist known for his hit “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” and sampled by countless artists, died at the age of 84.
In a statement shared with Variety, the Ayers family said that he died yesterday after suffering from a long illness. “It is with great sadness that the family of legendary vibraphonist, composer, and producer Roy Ayers announce his passing which occurred on March 4, 2025 in New York City after a long illness,” they said, describing him as “highly influential and sought after as a music collaborator.”
Throughout his career, Ayers established himself as a pioneer of jazz-funk and was largely influential on the neo-soul movement. As a solo artist, he released dozens of albums over the years, dating as far back as 1963, and scored his biggest hit “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” with his group Roy Ayers Ubiquity. The musician’s songs have been sampled by everyone from Mary J. Blige and Common to Tyler, the Creator and Kanye West, and he collaborated with musicians including the Roots, Guru, Fela Kuti and Rick James.
Ayers was born in Los Angeles in 1940 and grew up in a musical household. He was inspired to take up the vibraphone after seeing Lionel Hampton’s Big Band at the age of five, and took piano lessons and sang in the church choir. At 17, he was gifted his first vibraphone and attended Los Angeles City College to study advanced music theory. He made his recording debut with saxophonist Curtis Amy in the early 1960s, and signed his first contract with United Artists to release his debut album “West Coast Vibes” in 1963.
He teamed with jazz flutist Herbie Mann to record three albums for Atlantic Records — “Virgo Vibes,” “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “Daddy Bug” — before partnering with Polydor, where he continued to release music. In 1973, he wrote and produced the soundtrack for the blaxploitation film “Coffy” starring Pam Grier. During this era, he formed Roy Ayers Ubiquity and scored his biggest hit with “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” the title track from their 1976 album. To date, that song has more than 130 million Spotify streams, and has been covered by a range of artists including D’Angelo, Jamie Cullum and Robert Glasper.
In the decades that followed, he released records and formed two labels, Uno Melodic and Gold Mink Records. His last solo album “Mahogany Vibe,” came out in 2004, and featured guest appearances from Betty Wright, Kamilah and Erykah Badu. In 2015, he made a guest appearance on Tyler, the Creator’s track “Find Your Wings” and two years later performed at the rapper’s Camp Flog Gnaw festival. He teamed with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad for “Roy Ayers JID002,” a collaborative album released through Jazz Is Dead in 2020.
Part of his enduring legacy can be credited to the significant influence he had on hip-hop and R&B musicians. His solo songs and records he produced were sampled for decades, adding a warm, mellifluous tone to tracks including Mary J. Blige’s “My Life,” A Tribe Called Quest’s “Bonita Applebaum” and Junior M.A.F.I.A.’s “Get Money.”
Ayers is survived by his wife Argerie, and their children Mtume and Ayana Ayers.
