MUSICIAN

Roy Ayers

1940 - 2025

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Roy Edward Ayers Jr. (September 10, 1940 – March 4, 2025) was an American vibraphonist, record producer, and composer. Ayers began his career as a post-bop jazz artist, releasing several studio albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped to pioneer jazz-funk. He was a key figure in the acid jazz movement, and has been described as "The Godfather of Neo Soul". Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Roy Ayers is the 882nd most popular musician (up from 1,794th in 2019), the 4,739th most popular biography from United States (up from 9,044th in 2019) and the 288th most popular American Musician.

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Among MUSICIANS

Among musicians, Roy Ayers ranks 882 out of 3,175. Before him are Garth Hudson, John Taylor, Dennis Stratton, Alice, Aníbal Troilo, and Mischa Elman. After him are Bella Davidovich, Hillel Slovak, Naushad, Snowy White, Billy Sheehan, and Hilton Valentine.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1940, Roy Ayers ranks 248. Before him are John Mahoney, Donald Jackson, Count Ingolf of Rosenborg, Smokey Robinson, Ken Jenkins, and Philippe Léotard. After him are Aleksandr Ivanchenkov, Edmund White, Nanni Galli, Győző Kulcsár, Peter Mutharika, and Vladica Kovačević. Among people deceased in 2025, Roy Ayers ranks 155. Before him are Taina Elg, Jeremiah P. Ostriker, Pamela Bach, Claude Allègre, Xu Qiliang, and Garth Hudson. After him are Edmund White, Barbara Frischmuth, Sandra Harding, Jean Tiberi, Roy Thomas Baker, and Braulio Musso.

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In United States

Among people born in United States, Roy Ayers ranks 4,739 out of 20,380. Before him are Huey Long (1893), Jay Wright Forrester (1918), Jim Thorpe (1887), Donna Tartt (1963), Louis Farrakhan (1933), and Lunalilo (1835). After him are Anna Coleman Ladd (1878), Kenneth Anger (1927), Stephen Tobolowsky (1951), David J. Griffiths (1942), Damon Wayans (1960), and John Zerzan (1943).

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Among MUSICIANS In United States

Among musicians born in United States, Roy Ayers ranks 288. Before him are The Big Bopper (1930), Brad Delson (1977), Ric Ocasek (1949), Smokey Robinson (1940), Steve Lukather (1957), and Steve Smith (1954). After him are Billy Sheehan (1953), Tommy Thayer (1960), Sam Phillips (1923), Chuck Schuldiner (1967), Dimebag Darrell (1966), and Yusef Lateef (1920).

American born Musicians

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