William Orbit, the British producer famous for his work with people like Madonna and Blur, has passed away. In a social media statement on Orbit's accounts, his family and friends say that he died on July 23. No cause of death has been reported. Orbit was 69.
Orbit got his start in the early '80s, but he really came into his own years later as someone who could help craft sleek but hazy tracks for superstars, most notably Madonna on her dance-flavored 1998 album Ray Of Light. After the success of that record, Orbit scored one major UK hit of his own, and he also collaborated with people like Blur, U2, Britney Spears, Pink, and All Saints, winning multiple Grammys along the way.
William Orbit was born William Mark Wainwright in the London suburb of Palmers Green. In 1980, he got together with some friends to form Torch Song, a synthpop group who released a few albums, starting with 1984's Wish Thing. From there, Orbit scored Youngblood, a 1986 hockey movie that starred Rob Lowe, and founded Bassomatic, a sample-happy dance group whose 1990 single "Fascinating Rhythm" made the UK top 10. He also cranked out a number of solo albums, starting with 1987's Orbit. In 1993, Orbit produced Superpinkymandy, the first album from his then-girlfriend Beth Orton.
Orbit truly came to international prominence as the main producer on Madonna's acclaimed 1998 blockbuster Ray Of Light, one of the superstar's canniest reinventions. Orbit helped add elements of house, techno, and trip-hop to Madonna's towering pop songs, and the album sold millions and won Madonna her first Grammys. Orbit continued to work with Madonna on her soundtrack hits "Beautiful Stranger" and "American Pie" and on tracks from later albums Music and MDNA. Earlier this year, as Madonna ramped up to the release of her great new album Confessions II, Orbit claimed that Madonna ignored his pitches for a Ray Of Light sequel for 20 years.
In 1999, Orbit produced Blur's great album 13 and reached the UK top 10 with Ferry Corsten's trance remix of his own dance take on Samuel Barber's Adiago For Strings. Later on, Orbit worked hits like All Saints' "Pure Shores" and "Black Coffee," U2's "Electrical Storm," Pink's "Feel Good Time," and Chris Brown's "Don't Wake Me Up." His final solo album The Painter came out in 2022.
Check out some of Orbit's work below.
