Roy Ayers, the vibraphonist, composer, and record producer whose groove instinctively pushed jazz to its soulful outer limits of hipness, inspiring a legion of hip hop artists to sample his huge catalogue of music, particularly his hit “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” died on March 4, in New York City. He was 84.
“It is with great sadness that the family of legendary vibraphonist, composer and producer Roy Ayers announce his passing which occurred in New York City after a long illness,” his family said in a statement on social media. “He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed. A celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming.”
In 2020 Ayers gave the following statement to the LA Times regarding the Southern California culture of his writing “Everybody Loves the Sunshine.” “I wrote the song because it is sunny and lovely out on the West Coast, that came through.” He composed the soundtrack for the film “Coffy” which was co-written by its star Pam Grier. The filmmaker Quentin Tarantino used the Coffy” score in his 1997 Grier film “Jackie Brown.”
In the 1990s, Ayers’ career was revived as hip hop and R&B artists such as Mary J. Blige, N.W.A., Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Mos Def and Ice Cube began sampling his songs. It was singer/songwriter Erykah Badu, who collaborated with him on his 2004 recording of “Mahogany Vibe” (Rapster, 2004) who crowned him “King of Neo Soul.”
Ayers’ infectious grooves led him to record 20 records, nine collaborative releases and six live ones. He released 17 singles, during the 1970s and 1980s many of them hits that included “Don’t Stop the Feeling,” (a song he co-wrote with his then manger Wes Ramsuer), “Hot,” “Running Away,” “In the Dark,” and “Get on Up, Get on Down.” Following Ayers’ early recordings with both Atlantic and Columbia, he went on in 1970 to record with Polydor Records for over a decade.
Ayers released his debut album, “West Coast Vibes,” (United Artist 1962). After leaving Los Angeles City College in 1966, he relocated to New York City and earned a reputation on the jazz scene by joining flautist Herbie Mann, recording three albums for Atlantic Records “Virgo Vibes,” “Stoned Soul Picnic” and “Daddy Bug.”
New York City and the country were in the midst of the civil rights, Black power, and Black arts movements. The vibrant music community was upfront: in-your-face funk, soul, R&B, fiery jazz fusion was all happening, there was a message in the music. The young Californian came prepared, and over the next five decades, Ayers made his mark, one that he extended beyond the concept of jazz.
In the early 1970s, Ayers formed his own band called Roy Ayers Ubiquity. Wayne Cobham, a multi-Grammy winner, trumpeter, and composer recalled during a phone conversation, “Roy was the first musician to hire me, it was for a gig in Jamaica, Queens. I remember he paid the band upfront and I was pleasantly surprised.” He added, “Roy loved playing, he didn’t use bridges or changes, he just had this groove with everybody playing on top of it.”
The Upper West Side was fertile ground for independent music explorers. Ayers & Ubiquity often performed at such clubs as the Cellar, Mikell’s (where Miles Davis and James Baldwin could often be sighted) and Russ Brown’s. Musicians like Lou Donaldson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and Roy Haynes also performed at these jazz spots. Some years later, Ayers became somewhat of a mentor to the young men who owned Leviticus International, located on West 33rd Street, where he also performed.
“I toured with Roy to Europe and California,” said saxophonist and jazz club owner Bill Saxton. “We co-wrote over 100 songs yet to be developed. He was a genius, an all-around natural musician, he knew how to move his musicians and the audience. He wasn’t a real student of the music from a university perspective, he just had that magic.”
Ayers told the Times in 2011 how, as a 5-year-old in the crowd at the Paramount Theater, he received his first set of mallets from the great Lionel Hampton. “At the time, my mother and father told me he laid some spiritual vibes on me,” Ayers said. They became the tools that assisted him in providing his own unique sound to America’s musical backdrop.
With Argerie Ayers, whom he married in 1973, the musician had son Mtume and daughter Ayana, who later became his manager. He also had a son, writer Nabil Ayers, with ballerina Louise Braufman.
