Pop superstar Madonna has paid tribute to her longtime friend and acclaimed music producer William Orbit, who died last month at the age of 69. In an Instagram post on Saturday, she called him a "genius, otherworldly" figure and said his music gave her a "magic carpet to fly on." This was reported by infohub.kz.
Orbit's family announced "with profound sadness" on Friday that the Grammy-winning producer died at home on 23 July. No cause of death was given. The British producer, whose real name was William Wainwright, helped reinvigorate Madonna's career with her 1998 album "Ray of Light," which blended electronic dance music, ambient techno, pop, and trip-hop.
"Ray of Light" went on to win three Grammy Awards and is still considered by many to be the Queen of Pop's greatest record. Madonna wrote that she had an "epiphany" when she met and started working with Orbit. She said he inspired her to sing and write in ways she never had before, without caring if her words "made sense or not." "In many ways you were my Ray of Light - as was my daughter Lola who was born around this time," the singer wrote.
Madonna said that when she began working with Orbit, she was starting a new chapter, and he stayed by her side with his "genius way of hearing music." "The studio was often church-like and I would sit in silence, waiting for your ideas to explode out of your keyboard or your guitar and then I would run with them," she wrote. "I miss those days."
In addition to "Ray of Light," Orbit also worked on Madonna's 2000 album "Music" and produced several tracks for her 2012 album "MDNA." The London-born producer is also known for his work with English rock band Blur, American pop-rock singer Pink, and English girl group All Saints. "You were so otherworldly. So singular," Madonna wrote in her tribute. She said that even though she worked with other producers over the years, she never forgot Orbit and "the magical time we spent together." "I was so lucky to have known you and fallen down the rabbit hole with you."