Jazz-funk musician Roy Ayers died on Tuesday after a "long illness," his family announced in a statement shared to his social media accounts.

Roy Ayers, the pioneering jazz-funk musician whose signature song was "Everybody Loves the Sunshine," has died at 84. He was known as the Godfather of Neo Soul.

NEW YORK: Roy Ayers, the trailblazer of jazz, funk and neo-soul whose “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” proved a hugely popular hip-hop sample, has died. He was 84 years old. The artist’s family shared the news in a Facebook post, saying the vibraphonist, composer and producer died in New York on March 4 following a long illness.