Jazz legend Roy Ayers, known for ‘Everybody Loves the Sunshine,’ dies at 84
Roy Ayers performs on stage on Day 4 of New Orleans Jazz Festival on May 2, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns via Getty Images)
NEW YORK - Roy Ayers, the legendary jazz musician and composer, has died. He was 84 years old.
Ayers’ family announced his passing on his official Facebook account on Wednesday evening.
The artist died on Tuesday in New York City "after a long illness," according to the post.
Godfather of neo-soul
The backstory:
Ayers was born in Los Angeles, California, on Sept. 10, 1940, to parents Ruby and Roy Ayers Sr.
Both of Ayers’ parents were musicians, and he began to show his musical talent when he was just five years old, according to the Roy Ayers website.
Ayers was a pioneer of jazz-funk and influenced the neo-soul movement, according to Variety.
One of his biggest hits was "Everybody Loves the Sunshine," which has been sampled by many artists today, including Mary J. Blige, Common, Tyler the Creator and more.
Ayers is survived by his wife and their two children.
The Source: Information for this article was gathered from TMZ reporting, reporting by Variety, the Roy Ayers website and a Facebook post published by Ayers’ family on March 5, 2025. This story was reported from Los Angeles.