Roy Ayers, the jazz and R&B musician known as the “godfather of neo-soul” music, has died following a “long illness.” He was 84.
The news was shared Wednesday night to Ayers’ social media accounts, including his official Facebook page.
“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 read. “He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed. His family ask that you respect their privacy at this time, a celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming.”
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Ayers for comment.
Born on Sept. 10, 1940, in Los Angeles, Ayers grew up in a musical family; his schoolteacher mother was also a piano instructor while his father, Roy Sr., played trombone. Ayers, a choir boy, formed his first musical group while a student at Thomas Jefferson High School. Several years later, he released his debut album “West Coast Vibes” in 1963.
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The following decade saw him form Roy Ayers Ubiquity, which resulted in one of his best-known tracks, “Everybody Loves the Sunshine.” He collaborated with Erykah Badu; Tyler, The Creator and The Roots, and is also credited with works including the soundtrack to the 1973 blaxploitation film “Coffy” starring Pam Grier.
His music also inspired other musicians such as Kanye “Ye” West, Kendrick Lamar and Mary J. Blige, the latter of whom sampled his 1976 song “Searching.”
Ayers described neo-soul as “a sound that encompasses all these different sounds” in an interview with the Washington Post in 2013.
“I like it because it’s better than saying I just play jazz, or I just play funk, or I just play blues, or whatever,” he added. “I play neo-soul.”
As for the genre’s origin, he pointed to one of his most recent releases at the time, “Neo Soul Groove.”
“Erykah Badu was on it, and at the recording sessions, she told me, ‘Roy, you’re the king of neo-soul. It’s your music because you’re the one who started all of us doing it,'” he told the Post. “I’m really thinking about calling the next album ‘Neo Soul.’ I’m stuck on that name. It’s got me going.”
Roy Ayers canceled 2023 concerts due to ‘health complications’ but hoped to ‘get back to work’
Ayers was still performing into his 80s, with his last live shows seemingly taking place in 2023. Months after opening in May 2023 as part of a “farewell tour,” he updated his fans on his health issues and shared he would be unable to get back on stage that year.
“Hello to all my fans, unfortunately, due to health complications stemming from a recent bout with Covid-19, I will be cancelling upcoming performances for 2023,” he wrote in a July 2023 Facebook post.
The announcement, however, ended on a positive note: “We had high hopes I would recover in time, but all parties involved believe this is the best course of action for now. Once I have had proper time to heal and move past this, I will be looking to get back to work.”
This story was updated with new information.
