Roy Ayers

Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940, Los Angeles) is a funk, soul and jazz vibraphone player. At the age of five , Lionel Hampton gave him his first pair of mallets, which led to the vibraphone being his

Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940, Los Angeles) is a funk, soul and jazz vibraphone player. At the age of five , Lionel Hampton gave him his first pair of mallets, which led to the vibraphone being his trade mark sound for decades. Often called the "Godfather of Acid Jazz" because of his popularity in England in the 80's, Roy Ayers may be best known for his song "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" which has been sampled by numerous hip-hop artists. Check the picture on the cover of his album "We live in Brooklyn", a big inspiration for the Hip-Hop generation (see NWA).

Other notable songs by Ayers include "Running Away", "Searching", "We live in Brooklyn". Roy Ayers recorded and toured with Fela Kuti in the 1970s.