Jazz-funk pioneer Roy Ayers died Tuesday in New York.
The vibraphonist, known for his often-sampled 1976 album “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” died after a long illness and a “beautiful 84 years” on Earth, according to a Facebook post from his family.
Born in 1940 in Los Angeles, Ayers became entranced by the vibraphone after being given his first pair of mallets by percussionist Lionel Hampton’s Big Band at the age of 5.
He sang in church choir and played piano as a child but didn’t actually begin playing vibraphone until he was in high school.
From that point on, the instrument was one of his lifelong loves.
“It’s funny, I started playing vibes when I was 17 and I still love it. The only difference now is that I’ve turned the 17 around to 71,” Ayers told the Los Angeles Times in 2011.
After studying music theory at Los Angeles City College, Ayers signed his first recording contract in the early ’60s.
The producer and composer’s debut album “West Coast Vibes” came out in 1963, kicking off a career that would span over six decades.
He released his final album, “Mahogany Vibe,” in 2004 but would continue to tour and perform until 2023.
During his life, Ayers’ work was sampled by artists like Mary J. Blige, A Tribe Called Quest and Junior M.A.F.I.A.
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He also collaborated with Afrobeat innovator Fela Kuti and funk icon Rick James as well as contemporary hip-hop and R&B acts like Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu, The Roots and Tyler, The Creator.
“If I didn’t have music I wouldn’t even want to be here,” Ayers said back in 2011. “It’s like an escape when there is no escape. An escape for temporary moments.”
He is survived by his wife, Argerie Ayers, and their children, Mtume and Ayana Ayers.