William Orbit, Storied Producer Behind Madonna's Electronic Turn, Dies at 69

William Orbit, the British producer whose atmospheric sound helped redefine electronic music over the course of four decades, has died at the age of 69.Ad 0:00 Click for sound 0:00 / 0:00 The family of the Grammy-winning producer announced his death in a statement posted to his social media accounts by his family.

Orbit died at his home on July 23, and a cause of death has not yet been revealed.Orbit was born William Mark Wainwright on December 15, 1956, in London.

Both of his parents were schoolteachers.He left school at 16 and spent several years drifting through low-paying jobs before discovering a passion for recording equipment while rooming with a friend who was trying to build a home studio.

In 1980, he formed the group Torch Song with Laurie Mayer and Grant Gilbert, and the band’s music brought him to the attention of the manager Miles Copeland, who signed them to I.R.S.Records.

Orbit built his reputation over the following decade as both a solo artist and a producer, working out of his Guerilla Studios in London, where Sting, Belinda Carlisle, the Cocteau Twins and many other iconic artists recorded music.His profile rose sharply in 1998 with Madonna’s album Ray of Light, which traded the pop sheen of her earlier records for a moodier, electronic palette.

The title track and the single ‘Frozen’ became defining songs of that period in her illustrious career, helping her nab Grammy wins in the categories of Best Pop Album and Best Dance Recording.Orbit and Madonna continued to collaborate for years afterward.

The pop icon shared a poignant tribute on Instagram, calling Orbit an “otherworldly” producer.Scroll to continue more from edm DJ Performs at Tomorrowland Less Than Four Months After Cancer Diagnosis “I had an epiphany when I met you and started working with you,” Madonna wrote.

“I realized that music did not have to fit into ca...