Madonna recently paid a moving tribute to her late Ray of Light producer William Orbit.
For those unaware, the English musician and record producer passed away at the age of 69 on July 23, 2026, at his residence in London, England. His family announced the news of his passing this week; however, they did not share the cause of his death.
Taking to her Instagram, Madonna posted a video of herself standing next to Orbit, making a speech after winning a Grammy Award.
She penned a heartfelt caption under her post that read, “Goodbye- William Orbit.
I had an epiphany when I met you and started working with you. I realized that music did not have to fit into categories or genres. So we created our own.”
“You pressed a magic button inside of me and I fell into a galaxy of unrealized dreams. Your music gave me a magic carpet to fly on and I visited many places. Sad and Joyful.”
“I sang in ways I’d never sung before. I used words without caring if they made sense or not. In many ways you were my Ray of Light -as was my daughter Lola who was born around this time- I was starting a new chapter, I was choosing another road to walk down-and you were right by my side with your crooked teeth and your genius, way of hearing music,” the Material Girl hitmaker explained, referring to her first child, daughter Lourdes “Lola” Leon (born in 1996).
Madonna misses those days, especially because Orbit had the ability to ignite a fire in her to write a song such as “Drowned World or Swim.”
“The years passed and I moved on to make music with other people, but I have never forgotten you or the magical time we spent together. Goodbye Billy Bubbles. I was so lucky to have known you and fallen down the rabbit hole with you. [heart emoji],” she concluded.
It is pertinent to mention that in addition to Madonna, William Orbit collaborated with artists such as Britney Spears, U2, and No Doubt and Blur.
