Roy Ayers, a jazz legend who influenced hip-hop and R&B musicians, dies at 84

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. Blige, N.W.A., Dr. Dre, 2Pac, Mos Def and Ice Cube, has died. The Ayers family said in a Facebook post that he died Tuesday in New York City after suffering from a long illness. Ayers had 12 albums land in the Billboard 200 album charts, the highest being “You Send Me” in 1978 at No. 48.