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Roy Ayers, the jazz-funk pioneer whose hit Everybody Loves the Sunshine has become a summer staple across the globe, has died aged 84.
A post on the musician’s official Facebook page said: “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.
“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.”
Ayers was born in Los Angeles on 10 September 1940. He released his debut album, West Coast Vibes, in 1963 and had a string of solo records.
He then formed his band Roy Ayers Ubiquity and developed his signature jazz-funk sound that featured him on vibraphone, an instrument he was inspired to learn after meeting the jazz musician Lionel Hampton, who gave him a pair of mallets when he was five years old.
In 1976 he released his most famous track, Everybody Loves the Sunshine, a mellow song about lazy summer days. In 2017, Ayers told the Guardian about the process behind the hit.
He recorded it at Electric Lady studios in New York on a hot summer day. “I just got this phrase in my head,” he said. “‘Everybody loves the sunshine.’ I started singing: ‘Feel what I feel, when I feel what I feel, what I’m feeling.’ Then I started thinking about summer imagery … It was so spontaneous. It felt wonderful.”
The song became one of the most sampled jazz records ever. Mary J Blige’s My Life, Common’s Book of Life and Mos Def’s Life Is Real all feature elements of the track, and its popularity ensured Ayers was a regular feature at festivals around the world, including London’s Maiden Voyage, which he headlined in 2019.
“The song changed everything for me,” Ayers said. “It’s still the last song of my show. People always join in and it’s been sampled over 100 times, by everyone from Dr Dre to Pharrell Williams. It seems to capture every generation. Everybody loves the sunshine – except Dracula.”
After the release of his debut album in 1963, Ayers’ output was prolific. By the time Everybody Loves the Sunshine was released, Ayers had already put out more than a dozen albums, earning himself the title of Godfather of Neo Soul.
