Roy Ayers, the vibraphonist, composer, and producer whose sound shaped jazz, funk, and dance music, has died at the age of 84. His influence extended far beyond his own recordings, inspiring house, disco, and hip-hop producers for decades.
Best known for Everybody Loves the Sunshine, Ayers crafted a warm, groove-driven sound that found new life on dance floors worldwide. His work in the 1970s with Roy Ayers Ubiquity laid the groundwork for the deep, soulful textures that would later define house and garage music.
Ayers’ music became a staple for DJs and producers in the early days of house. His tracks were sampled by key figures like Masters at Work, Moodymann, and Theo Parrish, helping to bridge the gap between jazz-funk and electronic club culture. His 1980s boogie classics like Running Away and Love Will Bring Us Back Together became essential selections for disco and house DJs, ensuring his grooves stayed relevant as dance music evolved.
Beyond samples, his live performances brought a jazz sensibility to house-infused sets, collaborating with deep house innovators and keeping his music moving with the times. His influence runs deep in genres like broken beat, acid jazz, and soulful house, showing that his sound was built for the dance floor as much as for the jazz club.
Even in his later years, Ayers remained a fixture in underground dance circles, his records constantly reissued, remixed, and reworked. His passing marks the loss of a true pioneer, but his music will forever pulse through the heart of electronic and dance culture.
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