Grammy winning producer William Orbit dies at 69

Grammy-winning music producer and musician William Orbit, whose innovative electronic soundscapes helped define landmark albums for Madonna, Blur, and All Saints, died at his home on July 23, 2026. He was 69. His family confirmed his death in a statement posted to his social media accounts on August 7, asking for privacy and noting he would be "greatly missed by us and by so many whose lives he touched through his music, friendship and kindness." No cause of death was given.

Born William Wainwright in London's East End in 1956, Orbit first cultivated his love of music as a teenager. He left school at 16 and, after a period of traveling and busking, co-founded the electronic trio Torch Song in 1980. He concurrently established his own studio, Guerilla Studios, where he began producing and remixing for a diverse range of artists. His early success included the Bassomatic project, which scored a UK Top 10 hit with "Fascinating Rhythm" in the early 1990s.

Orbit's career-defining collaboration came with Madonna on her 1998 album "Ray of Light." The producer's fusion of trance, trip-hop, and techno helped reinvent the pop star's sound, resulting in a multi-platinum, Grammy-winning...