WASHINGTON — Roy Ayers, the composer and jazz-funk pioneer behind “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” has died. He was 84.
Ayers died Tuesday in New York City after a long illness, according to a statement from his family released on Facebook.
“He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed,” the statement reads.
Details about a celebration of life were not immediately available.
Born in Los Angeles in 1940, Ayers came from a musical family and quickly picked up the trade. According to a Los Angeles Times article from 2011, he received his first set of mallets from vibraphonist great Lionel Hampton.
“At the time, my mother and father told me he laid some spiritual vibes on me,” Ayers said.
Growing up in South Central L.A., Ayers was raised in an area known for its Central Avenue Jazz scene, where African American culture and music reigned.
Over his lifetime as a vibraphonist and composer, Ayers produced 33 studio albums, starting with West Coast Vibes in 1963.
His most famous single was “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” off a 1976 album of the same name. It peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard 200, and was later placed at No. 72 on Pitchfork’s list of the 200 best songs of the 70s.
Ayers was a pioneer in the jazz scene, becoming one of the pioneers who created some of the first acid jazz tracks, and was a precursor to house music. His work continues to be sampled for hip hop songs from artists including Dr. Dre and Mary J. Blige.