Рой Айерс: Джаздың, соулдың және фанктің шебері

American funk, soul, and jazz composer
the American politician

Roy Ayers (born September 10, 1940) is an American vibraphonist, record producer and composer. Ayers began his career as a post bop jazz artist, releasing several albums with Atlantic Records, before his tenure at Polydor Records beginning in the 1970s, during which he helped pioneer jazz funk. He is a key figure in the acid jazz movement, and has been dubbed "The Godfather of Neo Soul". He is best known for his compositions "Everybody Loves the Sunshine", "Searchin", and "Running Away". At one time, he was said to have more sampled hits by rappers than any other artist.

Ayers was born on September 10, 1940, in Los Angeles. He grew up in a musical family, where his father played trombone and his mother played piano. At the age of five, he was given his first pair of vibraphone mallets by Lionel Hampton. The area of Los Angeles that Ayers grew up in, South Park (later known as South Central) was at the center of the Southern California Black music scene. The schools he attended (Wadsworth Elementary, Nevins Middle School, and Thomas Jefferson High School) were all close to the famed Central Avenue, Los Angeles' equivalent of Harlem's Lenox Avenue and Chicago's State Street. During high school, Ayers sang in the church choir and fronted a band named The Latin Lyrics, in which he played steel guitar and piano. His high school, Thomas Jefferson High School, produced various talented musicians, such as Dexter Gordon. Ayers has three children.

In 1992, Ayers released two albums, Drive and Wake Up, for the hip hop label Ichiban Records. In 1993, Ayers appeared on the record Guru's Jazzmatazz Vol. 1, playing vibraphone on the song "Take a Look (At Yourself)". The following year he appeared on the Red Hot Organization's compilation album Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool. The album, meant to raise awareness and funds in support of the AIDS epidemic in relation to the African American community, was heralded as "Album of the Year" by Time Magazine. During the 2000s and 2010s, Ayers ventured into house music, collaborating with such stalwarts of the genre as Masters at Work and Kerri Chandler. Ayers started two record labels, Uno Melodic and Gold Mink Records. The first released several LPs, including Sylvia Striplin's, while the second folded after a few singles. He has also worked in collaborations with soul singer Erykah Badu and other artists on his 2004 album Mahogany Vibes. Ayers hosts the fictitious radio station "Fusion FM" in Grand Theft Auto IV (2008). In 2015, he appeared on Tyler, The Creator's album Cherry Bomb on the track "Find Your Wings".

A documentary, The Roy Ayers Project, featuring Ayers and a number of artists who have sampled his music and have been influenced by him and his music, has been in development for a number of years. The Roy Ayers Project has been rebranded as "Roy Ayers Connection", which highlights Roy Ayers and all the people and things that he is connected to. Pharrell Williams cites Roy Ayers as one of his key musical heroes. Ayers is a recipient of the Congress of Racial Equality Lifetime Achievement Award.