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Roy Ayers

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Roy Ayers was born in 1940 in Los Angeles into a family of musicians. His father played trombone and his mother piano. At the age of five he received his first vibraphone mallets from Lionel Hampton. He grew up in South Park, in the centre of the Black music scene of Southern California, and attended Thomas Jefferson High School, where Dexter Gordon had also been a pupil. In 1962 he began recording as a bebop sideman. In 1963 his debut album West Coast Vibes appeared. In 1966 he joined the band of the flautist Herbie Mann.

Music and breakthrough

In the early 1970s he formed his own band Roy Ayers Ubiquity. The name means that something is everywhere at the same time. He made the acclaimed soundtrack for the 1973 film Coffy with Pam Grier. After that he moved from jazz-funk to R&B, as on Mystic Voyage from 1975 and on Everybody Loves the Sunshine from 1976. That last song became his best known, alongside Running Away and Freaky Deaky. In 1977 he also produced an album by the group RAMP.

Influence

Ayers is one of the pioneers of jazz-funk and was an important figure in acid jazz. He was called the Godfather of Neo Soul. Rappers have sampled his music so often that for a time he was among the most sampled artists. He died in 2025.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Everybody Loves the Sunshine by Roy Ayers. Notice the soft vibraphone, the loose bass line and the relaxed vocals, which together create a warm, summery atmosphere.

Discography

Studio albums

Other work

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsJazz-funkAcid jazzBlaxploitation: soul and funkJazz rap