William Orbit, producer behind Madonna's 'Ray of Light,' dies at 69

William Orbit, the English instrumentalist and shaper champion known for his enactment with Madonna connected her beloved 1998 medium “Ray of Light,” died connected July 23. He was 69.

His household announced his decease Friday successful an Instagram station that said helium died astatine location but didn’t specify a cause. “He volition beryllium greatly missed by america and by truthful galore whose lives helium touched done his music, relationship and kindness,” the station reads.

Born William Wainwright successful London successful 1956, Orbit had already established himself successful the worlds of creation euphony and movie soundtracks — helium composed the people for the 1986 hockey movie “Youngblood,” with Rob Lowe and Patrick Swayze — erstwhile helium linked up with Madonna astatine a infinitesimal of heavy idiosyncratic alteration for the popular superstar, who’d fixed commencement to her archetypal kid and immersed herself successful a assortment of spiritual practices. Together the 2 developed a lush yet energetic dependable that combined guitars, synths and throbbing nine beats.

“Ray of Light,” which sold much than 4 cardinal copies successful the United States alone, spun disconnected deed singles including “Frozen,” “The Power of Good-Bye” and the exuberant rubric track; the LP was nominated for medium of the twelvemonth astatine the Grammy Awards — Madonna’s lone motion for that prestigious prize — and won the grant for popular vocal album. Orbit won 3 Grammys successful each implicit the people of his career.

In 2021, Orbit took pains successful an interrogation with the Guardian to stock recognition for “Ray of Light” with the vocalist herself. Madonna, helium said, is “a fabulous producer. When it says ‘produced by Madonna and William Orbit,’ radical don’t ever springiness her the recognition for that. But she’s arsenic liable arsenic me.”

Orbit and Madonna collaborated again for “Beautiful Stranger,” a Grammy-winning azygous from the soundtrack of 1999’s “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,” and for an electro-pop screen of Don McLean’s “American Pie” that featured successful the 2000 movie “The Next Best Thing,” successful which Madonna starred.

He besides worked with Blur, U2, Beth Orton, Pink and All Saints, and helium made euphony nether his ain name, including a 2000 LP, “Pieces successful a Modern Style,” with high-tech interpretations of classical pieces by the likes of Samuel Barber and Erik Satie.