Roy Ayers
Roy Ayers
Roy Ayersis an American funk, soul, and jazz composer and vibraphone player. 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, which is a mixture of jazz into hip-hop and funk, and has been dubbed by many as "The Godfather of Neo Soul". He is most well known...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionComposer
Date of Birth10 September 1940
CityLos Angeles, CA
I got married in 1973, and my career was really at its peak between 1975, and '81-'82. Everything I put out could do no wrong. Like you can't imagine.
Polydor used to release me at different times around the world. You get your royalty statement: sales here, here, but never over there!
It's a new day and new things are happening. There will be other ways for artists to sell their records and distribute their product.
I'm celebrating my 40th year in show business this year.
You grow and learn a lot about the industry and what happens behind closed doors over the years.
People in England were coming up to me, saying, My mother and father turned me on to your music. This happened to me 20 years ago. When I was 40 they were saying that.
I'm not imprisoned within any particular style or category of music. I grew up in the be-bop culture or what people today call classic jazz.
The true beauty of music is that it connects peopl. It carries a message, and we, the musicians, are the messengers.
Now I get exposure first with people directly in the clubs. This is a unique situation for me.
People are always defining and re-defining music. My style of playing has been characterized as smooth jazz and acid jazz. I listen as I play; I'm not caught up in defining the type of music I play.
Soul has no musical geographical or racial boundaries.
Some people really trip on success or popularity. My friends would talk to me about that, about tripping on all this stuff, but you know what I tripped on? I started buying property.
It's a wonderful feeling just being in this creative motif.
Having good health, being able to breathe and be happy, that's one of the most beautiful gifts. On top of that, I have the gift to play music and make people happy through that. I'm just telling you from my heart, I'm so in love with life.