Roy Ayers, a master vibraphonist, composer, producer, and the “Godfather of Neo-Soul” has passed away. He was 84.
Ayers’ death was confirmed in a statement on his 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 post read. “He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed. His family asks that you respect their privacy at this time, a celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming.”
Born in Los Angeles on Sept. 10, 1940, to a musical family. His father played trombone and his mother played piano. Ayers was handed his first pair of mallets by the legendary Lionel Hampton at one of his concerts when he was just five years old.
At the time, my mother and father told me he laid some spiritual vibes on me,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 2011.
As a high schooler, Ayers led a band called the Latin Lyrics and sang in the church choir. In 1962, he gained a reputation as a bebop sideman and released his debut album, West Coast Vibes, with the saxophonist Curtis Amy in 1963.
By the 1960s, he was a fixture on the hard-bop scene of LA, Ayers, but eventually developed his own signature sound in 1970 1970 with the release of his landmark album Ubiquity, an album title that he’d soon take as the name of his band for the remaining decade.
He would follow up with 1971’s He’s Coming, 1973’s Red, Black & Green, and the score for Coffy, the blaxploitation cult classic featuring Pam Grier.
In 1975 he released Mystic Voyage and the following year he released Everybody Loves The Sunshine, and the title track would become his signature song. It also would be heavily sampled by Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre, Common, D’Angelo, and the Robert Glasper Experiment to name a few.
Dropping Lifeline in 1977, “Running Away” hit No. 19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and became a cookout classic. In 1978, his cover of Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me” was an instant quiet storm favorite.
Always recording, Ayers would collaborate with Erykah Badu, The Roots, Tyler, the Creator, Kerri Chandler, and more.
Pharrell Williams cited Ayers as one of his musical inspirations.
Ayers continued to perform across the globe until 2023.
He is survived by his wife Argerie, and their two children Mtume and Ayana Ayers.