William Orbit, Madonna and Blur Producer, Dead at 69

William Orbit, the electronic musician and producer best known for his work with Madonna and Blur, has died at 69. In a statement posted to his Instagram page, Orbit’s family revealed he passed away at home on July 23rd. “We are deeply saddened by his passing,” the note reads. “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.” No cause of death was given. Born on December 15th, 1956, in the London suburb of Palmers Green, Orbit started his music career as an electronic artist in the group Torch Song alongside co-founders Laurie Mayer and Grant Gilbert. After catching the attention of I.R.S. Records A&R Richard Law, they were signed to the label in 1981 by Miles Copeland, manager of his brother Stewart’s band, The Police. The synthpop group released three albums between 1984 and 1987: Wish Thing, Ecstasy, and Exhibit A. The first contained the dance hit “Prepare to Energize,” which was featured in the 1984 comedy Bachelor Party starring Tom Hanks. In 1990, Orbit formed the house music group Bassomatic feat...