William Orbit, the Grammy-winning British music producer, musician, and remixer who shaped defining hits for thesun.co.uk, expressandstar.com, and jang.com.pk, has died at the age of 69 according to BBC reporting. His family and friends announced that he passed away at his home on July 23.
Grammy-Winning Producer William Orbit Dies at 69
In a statement posted on social media, loved ones shared their grief: It is with profound sadness that the family and friends of William Orbit announce that William passed away at home on July 23.
The statement added: We are deeply saddened by his passing. He will be greatly missed by us and by so many whose lives he touched through his music, friendship and kindness.
The family also asked for privacy during the difficult time.
Iconic Collaborations with Madonna and Blur
Born William Wainwright in 1956 and raised in north London by teacher parents, Orbit built a decades-long career as an acclaimed solo artist, producer, and remixer. He achieved worldwide renown for his work on Madonna’s 1998 album Ray of Light, which guided the American singer into electronic and trip-hop sounds and earned him Grammy Awards for best pop album and best dance recording.
Madonna previously hailed him as a complete madman genius.
Their collaboration continued with her 1999 hit single Beautiful Stranger from the movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, which he co-wrote and played on, winning an additional Grammy for best song written for visual media. Orbit also worked on Madonna’s 2000 album Music and earlier singles including Erotica and Justify My Love.
Alongside his pop catalog, Orbit produced Blur’s 1999 album 13, which marked a darker lyrical turn for the Britpop band and spawned singles such as Tender, Coffee & TV, and No Distance Left To Run. He subsequently worked on the track Sweet Song from Blur’s 2003 album Think Tank.
Extensive Discography and Tributes
Throughout his career, Orbit collaborated with numerous other prominent artists. He produced All Saints’ hit song Pure Shores in 2000 and worked on their chart-topping album Saints & Sinners. His credits also include U2’s 2002 single Electrical Storm, Britney Spears, Pink—collaborating on the UK number three single Feel Good Time from the Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle soundtrack—and Dido’s debut album No Angel. In 2000, he released his own Grammy-nominated solo LP, Pieces In A Modern Style, an electronic-classical crossover record, alongside achieving UK chart success with Ferry Corsten’s remix of Barber’s Adagio for Strings.
Following the news of his death, figures from across the music industry shared tributes. Singer Sonique wrote: He was one of the first people I ever worked with. I am so sad to hear this. Sending all my love to his family. RIP my friend.
DJ Abel posted, William, no. Rest in peace friend x.
Producer Darren Emerson added: Oh no. Absolutely gutted to hear this. I’ll always remember our long phone conversations we used to have back in the day. It was a pleasure to work with one of the best producers I’ve known. You will be sadly missed mate and your music will always shine bright. Thanks for everything you gave us.
