The family of William Orbit has announced that he passed away on 23 July, aged 69.
Orbit was the producer behind Madonna’s landmark album Ray of Light and worked with a diverse range of artists, including Betty Boo, Pink, Melanie C, U2, Robbie Williams, Blur, All Saints, Beth Orton, and many others.
In a statement posted to his official Facebook page, his family said it was with profound sadness that they were sharing news of his passing and confirmed that he died a fortnight earlier.
“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.”
While Orbit produced work for a wide range of artists and remixed many hits for the dancefloor, he was also a successful musician in his own right, releasing 12 albums between 1987 and 2022.
Born William Wainwright, Orbit first released music as part of the British band Torch Song, which issued its first album of electronic and ambient music in 1984. By 1985, the band had broken up, but it had already recorded two more albums that were released in 1986 and 1987. The group briefly reformed in 1995 for a fourth record.
In 1987, Orbit released his debut solo album, Orbit, and in the same year issued the first of his Strange Cargo records. Three more editions in the series followed. Strange Cargo III featured guest vocals from Beth Orton.
Orton and Orbit worked together on her debut album, Superpinkymandy, but it was released only in Japan. Reports suggest that between 1,000 and 5,000 copies were printed, making it a rarity among collectors. Some songs from the album were reworked and appeared on Orbit’s Strange Cargo Hinterland, including She Cries Your Name. Orton later recorded her own downbeat folk version of the song for her 1996 album Trailer Park.
In the early 1990s, Orbit also formed the project Bassomatic, which recorded two albums and scored a hit with Fascinating Rhythm.
Orbit was commissioned to remix Madonna’s songs Justify My Love and Erotica, but the pair did not meet until 1997, when they collaborated on her album Ray of Light, often regarded as one of Madonna’s finest works.
Orbit produced every track on the album, including reworking songs that Madonna had developed with other collaborators, giving the record a cohesive sound. At the Grammy Awards, it won four awards from six nominations, earning Madonna her first competitive Grammy for music after previously winning recognition for her music videos.
Orbit continued to work with Madonna on the albums Music and MDNA. He also co-wrote and produced Beautiful Stranger, recorded for the Austin Powers film series. Her cover version of American Pie was another collaboration between the pair.
The success of Ray of Light made Orbit an in-demand producer. He produced Blur’s 13 in 1999, which included the hit Tender. He also worked on Melanie C’s debut album and produced the All Saints hits Pure Shores and Black Coffee.
Feel Good Time, a song written with Beck, was recorded by Pink, with Orbit serving as producer. He later worked with U2, Finley Quaye, Robbie Williams, Katie Melua, No Doubt, Nadine Coyle and Britney Spears. Alongside these collaborations, Orbit continued releasing his own music and issued Pieces in a Modern Style, a collection of electronic interpretations of well-known classical works.
After several years of reduced output, he returned in 2022 with The Painter, his most recent album. In interviews, Orbit spoke openly about struggling with substance abuse and experiencing psychosis, which required hospital treatment.
Earlier this year as word spread that Madonna was releasing a sequel to her Confessions on a Dance Floor album, Orbit revealed he’d previously reached out to the singer about collaborating again, but had never heard back from her.
