Roy Ayers, the “King of Neo Soul” who was born and raised on Vernon Avenue just south of downtown Los Angeles and saw more than 60 of his songs sampled by a who’s who of hip-hop and soul ...

The legendary American vibraphonist, composer and pioneer of jazz-funk died Tuesday, his family said. He was 84.

His family ask that you respect their privacy at this time, a celebration of Roy’s life will be forthcoming.” Born in Los Angeles in 1940, Ayers was surrounded by music from a young age thanks ...

By Andrey Henkin Roy Ayers, a vibraphonist who in the 1970s helped pioneer a new, funkier strain of jazz, becoming a touchstone for many artists who followed and one of the most sampled musicians ...

Roy Ayers, who died March 4 at 84 ... Then 77 years old, Ayers was flanked by a much younger trio of jazz-, funk- and hip-hop-schooled musicians. In his hands, though, they were slowed-down ...

Roy Ayers, the jazz vibraphonist whose smooth fusion ... The endlessly sampled Ayers told Dummy in 2016, “It’s wonderful, the desire young people express for my music. It’s wonderful because ...

1:15 p.m. March 7, 2025: A previous version of this story said Roy Ayers died Wednesday. He died Tuesday. Roy Ayers, the “King of Neo Soul” who was born and raised on Vernon Avenue just south ...

His family ask that you respect their privacy at this time, a celebration of Roy's life will be forthcoming." Born in Los Angeles, Ayers was involved with music from a young age. His website ...

Ayers had a natural affinity for music from a young age. His mother, Ruby Ayers, was a piano instructor, while his father, Roy Sr., was a trombonist, according to a biography on his website.