William Orbit, the musician and producer who collaborated with Britney Spears and Madonna, has passed away at the age of 69. His family announced his death, stating that he died at home on 23rd July 2026.
Family's statement
In a statement, his family said: 'It is with profound sadness that the family and friends of William Orbit announce that William died at home on 23rd July 2026. 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. We kindly ask that the privacy of William's family and close friends is respected during this difficult time.'
Career highlights
Orbit received seven Grammy nominations, winning three for his work with Madonna. Born in Enfield on December 15, 1956, he produced for a wide range of artists including Prince, Pink, Robbie Williams, Queen, Kraftwerk, and the Sugababes. He is most associated with Madonna, having produced her albums 'Ray of Light' (1998), 'Music' (2000), and 'MDNA' (2012). 'Ray of Light' reportedly took four months to record, the longest Madonna had ever spent on an album, and reached number two in the charts.
Recent projects and legacy
Orbit's vocals are featured on 'Beautiful Stranger', a song he co-wrote for an Austin Powers film. In March, he spoke about writing a follow-up to 'Ray of Light', saying on social media: 'I have an album ready that imho is indeed the successor.' He added that he had reached out to Madonna but received no response, though he insisted they are still 'pals'. He said: 'I will always love that woman. For real. She made my career.'
His last credited production work was for All Saints in 2018, on two tracks for their 'Testament' album. He also worked on 'Queen Forever' and Britney Spears' 2014 album 'Britney Jean', co-writing and producing the track 'Alien'. When a leaked version of the song without pitch correction caused controversy, Orbit defended Spears, saying: 'Whoever put this on the internet must have done so in a spirit of unkindness, but it can in no way detract from the fact that Britney is and always will be beyond stellar! She is magnificent! And that's that.'
Orbit sold over 200 million recordings in his career, which began in the 1980s with the band Torch Song, alongside Laurie Mayer and Grant Gilbert. The band was signed by The Police's manager, Miles Copeland, and set up Guerilla Studios as part of the deal. Around that time, he also scored the film 'Youngblood' and released music with Bassomatic, whose track 'Fascinating Rhythm' reached number nine on the UK singles chart in 1990. He had recently shared on Instagram that he was writing a memoir, but no formal announcement has been made.
