William Orbit, the electronic musician and producer best known for his work with Madonna and Blur, has died at 69.
In a statement posted to his Instagram page, Orbit’s family revealed he passed away at home on July 23rd. “We are deeply saddened by his passing,” the note reads. “He will be greatly missed by us and by so many whose lives he touched through his music, friendship, and kindness. We kindly ask that the privacy of William’s family and close friends is respected during this difficult time.”
No cause of death was given.
Born on December 15th, 1956, in the London suburb of Palmers Green, Orbit started his music career as an electronic artist in the group Torch Song alongside co-founders Laurie Mayer and Grant Gilbert. After catching the attention of I.R.S. Records A&R Richard Law, they were signed to the label in 1981 by Miles Copeland, manager of his brother Stewart’s band, The Police.
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The synthpop group released three albums between 1984 and 1987: Wish Thing, Ecstasy, and Exhibit A. The first contained the dance hit “Prepare to Energize,” which was featured in the 1984 comedy Bachelor Party starring Tom Hanks.
In 1990, Orbit formed the house music group Bassomatic featuring vocalist Sharon Musgrave and rapper MC Inna Onestep. Bassomatic’s biggest hit, “Fascinating Rhythm,” appeared on their 1990 debut Set the Controls for the Heart of the Bass, reaching No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart. The band only released one more album, 1991’s Science & Melody.
Around the same time, Orbit began producing for other acts. After contributing to “24 Hours” from Betty Boo’s Boomania, he helmed his then-girlfriend Beth Orton’s entire debut album, SuperpinkyMandy. Orbit then worked with English singer and cellist Caroline Lavelle before fully stepping into the spotlight.
With 1998’s Ray of Light, Orbit provided Madonna with an electronica and trip-hop soundscape that produced hits including “Frozen” and “Ray of Light,” helping her win three Grammys. He reunited with her on the 2000 follow-up Music, though he contributed only a handful of tracks rather than the entire album.
Outside of Madonna, Orbit helped Blur experiment with electronic music by manning the boards for their 1999 album, 13. During the late ’90s and early 2000s, he also produced tracks for U2, No Doubt, Ricky Martin, P!NK, Spice Girls’ Melanie C, and All Saints. He slowed down on outside production work beginning in the mid-2000s, most prominently working with Robbie Williams and reuniting with Madonna for 2012’s MDNA.
However, Orbit didn’t limit his output to Torch Song, Bassomatic, and producing for other acts. Beginning in 1987, he released a steady stream of solo albums, starting with his debut Orbit. His most recent studio album, The Painter, arrived in 2022.