Main content

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 has a complicated relationship with his father, legendary funk and jazz musician Roy Ayers. Nabil’s mother chose to have a child with Roy, fully expecting and agreeing to be a lone parent. Even though Nabil has only met him a handful of times, his father has been a steady influence in his life. Roy Ayers’ most famous song, Everybody Loves the Sunshine, has followed him throughout his life and like Roy, Nabil has a successful career in music. In trying to get to know his father as an adult, Nabil discovered a wider family he never knew and a connection to his own identity he had not expected.

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: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Troy Holmes

(Photo: Nabil Ayers (left) and Roy Ayers (right). Credit: Gabriela Bhaskar and Getty Images)

Available now

41 minutes

Last on

Tue 23 Aug 2022 02:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 22 Aug 2022 11:06GMT
  • Mon 22 Aug 2022 17:06GMT
  • Mon 22 Aug 2022 21:06GMT
  • Tue 23 Aug 2022 02:06GMT

Contact Outlook

Contact Outlook

Info on how we might use your contribution on air

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected