The legendary jazz and funk pioneer passed away this week at the age of 84

March 06, 2025 | 05:36am

Rockstar Pays Tribute To GTA 4 Radio Station Host Roy Ayers Who Just Passed Away

The legendary jazz and funk pioneer passed away this week at the age of 84

Ayers hosted Fusion FM, one of many in-game radio stations for GTA IV, and he was known for his passionate and exuberant presentation style, and quotes like, "Try to be happy all the time." Some of the songs featured on Fusion FM included Ayers' own "Funk In The Hole," along with tunes like "The Edge" by David McCallum and "Holy Thursday" by David Axelrod.

You can listen to more of the songs from Fusion FM through the Spotify playlist below.

Ayers' family posted a statement this week confirming he passed away on March 4 in New York City after a long illness. "He lived a beautiful 84 years and will be sorely missed. His family ask that you respect their privacy at this time, a celebration of Roy's life will be forthcoming," the family said.

"Everybody Loves the Sunshine" is Ayers' most enduringly popular song, and it was sampled more than 100 times by artists like Dr. Dre with his song "My Life" and "The Dream" by Outkast.

Music is expected to play a major role in the forthcoming GTA 6. It was recently reported that DJ Khaled will have his own in-game radio station in GTA 6. The report went on to say there is potential for other real-life artists to appear in the game as well with their own radio stations. GTA 6 launches this fall for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.