Finding a life in the sunshine: Being Roy Ayers’ son
Nabil Ayers unearthed an unexpected family history through his father, the musician Roy Ayers – most famous for Everybody Loves the Sunshine.
Nabil Ayers had a complicated relationship with his father, legendary funk and jazz musician Roy Ayers, who died in March 2025, aged 84.
Roy Ayers’ most famous song, Everybody Loves the Sunshine, has followed Nabil throughout his life and like Roy, Nabil has had a successful career in music.
When he sat down with Emily Webb in 2022, he told her how he'd learned to be comfortable with hearing his father's biggest hit and how - in trying to get to know his father as an adult - he discovered a wider family he never knew.
Nabil has written a book about his experience called My Life in the Sunshine: Searching for My Father and Discovering My Family.
Get in touch: [email protected]
Presenter: Mobeen Azhar & Emily Webb
Producer: Laura Thomas & Troy Holmes
(Photo: Nabil Ayers (left) and Roy Ayers (right). Credit: Gabriela Bhaskar and Getty Images)
Last on
Broadcasts
- Wed 19 Mar 202512:06GMTBBC World Service
- Wed 19 Mar 202518:06GMTBBC World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
- Wed 19 Mar 202523:06GMTBBC World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
- Thu 20 Mar 202503:06GMTBBC World Service
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