JAZZ icon Roy Ayers has died at the age of 84 after a long illness.
The legendary crooner was best known for the hit 1970s track Everybody Loves the Sunshine.
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Ayers’ family revealed that he died in New York on March 4, according to a statement shared on his Facebook page.
They said the composer and producer will be “sorely missed.”
His family said he had lived a “beautiful 84 years” and announced that a celebration of his life would take place.
Ayers, from Los Angeles, was known as the Godfather of Neo Soul.
He learned the vibraphone after receiving the instrument as a present when he was 17.
But, he was inspired after watching Lionel Hampton perform when he was just five years old.
“At the time, my mother and father told me he laid spiritual vibes on me,” he told The Los Angeles Times in 2011.
Ayers released his first studio album West Coast Vibes in 1963 having signed with the United Artists label.
He was best known for the track Everybody Loves the Sunshine which featured as part of his 1976 album of the same name.
The track was one of the top 200 songs of the 1970s, according to Pitchfork.
The song finished in 72nd place and commentator Matthew Schnipper described the track as “beautiful, but not exuberant.”
The song has since been covered by stars including D’Angelo.
And, it has been listened more than 130 million times on Spotify.
Ayers is considered a pioneer and Pharrell Williams revealed he was one of his most influential artists, as reported by Billboard.
Stars like Snopp Dogg also sampled his music – something which Ayers admitted he didn’t expect.
“I’m happy to say that I never had to go to anyone to ask them to sample me,” he said.
“They just started doing it. It’s been wonderful hearing people put their own spin on my sounds.”
Fans have paid tribute to the late music star on social media.
One mourner described him as “incomparable.”
Another described him as a “true innovator” and said Ayers was someone who “revitalized” the music landscape.
“His sound became the backdrop to every era he graced, with Everybody Loves the Sunshine serving as an anthem for so many of us,” they posted on X.
Ayers is survived by his wife and two children.
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