William Orbit, Grammy-winning producer for Madonna and Britney Spears, dies at 69

Digital Editor

William Orbit, a Grammy-winning producer who helped shape the sound of electronic and pop music, has died. He was 69.

Orbit’s death was confirmed by his family on social media Friday morning.

“The word genius gets used so often that it’s actually a cliche to say it gets used so much but William was a genius, he was a beautiful man that made some of the greatest music of all time,” the statement reads in part. “He was special and I was proud to have him as a friend. Arguably the most important producer of the 90’s and noughties and his influence will forever be felt.”

Orbit died on July 23, with his family just announcing the news. A cause of death has not been announced.

Orbit was best known for his work with Madonna, producing much of her acclaimed 1998 album “Ray of Light,” including the title track and “Frozen.”

The album earned multiple Grammy Awards, marking a major reinvention of Madonna’s sound.

Orbit also worked with dozens of the biggest artists of the ’90s and 2000s, including Blur, U2, Pink, Prince, Queen and Britney Spears.

As a solo artist, Orbit also enjoyed chart success in his native United Kingdom, with his 2000 album “Pieces in a Modern Style” reaching No. 2 and “Barber’s Adagio for Strings” hitting No. 4.

He later teamed with Pink for “Feel Good Time,” which reached No. 3 and appeared on the “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” soundtrack.