Roy Ayers, the towering jazz figure, passed away on Tuesday, March 4, at 84. Hip-Hop Wired has put together eight essential songs from Ayers.

Thank you ROY AYERS for your heavy soul music. Thank you for touring with GURU and being a member of his Jazzmatazz Vol. 1 delivery. R.I.P. to both of you Kings." Part of Ayers's respect in the hip-hop community is derived from his willingness to work with ...

Roy Ayers, a legendary jazz vibraphonist, keyboardist, composer and vocalist known for his spacy, funky 1976 hit “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” that has been sampled by such R&B and rap heavyweights as Mary J.

Roy Ayers, the jazz-soul vibraphonist and bandleader behind 'Everybody Loves the Sunshine,' whose music became the backbone for younger artists, dies at age 84.

He helped introduce a funkier strain of the music in the 1970s. He also had an impact on hip-hop: His “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” has been sampled nearly 200 times.

The Jazz and Soul music giant Roy Ayers has passed away. He was 84. Variety reports that the Jazz vibraphonist’s family confirmed that he passed away on Tuesday, March 4, after a “long illness.”

Musicians have been paying tribute to the "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" icon, whose influence has shaped R&B, hip-hop and neo-soul.

A multi-genre music legend known as the Godfather of Neo Soul is dead at age 84. Roy Ayers, the jazz vibraphonist best known for the 1976 hit “Everybody Loves the Sunshine,” died Tuesday in New York City, according to Variety. A cause of death was not announced, but his family said he had “a long illness.”

Hip-hop production stalwarts such as J ... all strive to earn in our journey of greatness. Thank you ROY AYERS for your heavy soul music. Thank you for touring with GURU and being a member ...

Roy Ayers, a legendary jazz vibraphonist, keyboardist, composer and vocalist known for his spacy, funky 1976 hit “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” has died NEW YORK -- Roy Ayers, a legendary jazz ...

NEW YORK — Roy Ayers ... t know about.” One of Ayers’ most popular albums was “Lifeline,” which peaked at No. 9 on what has become the Top R&B/Hip-hop chart in 1977 and contained ...