William Orbit: key obituary facts
Is William Orbit dead? Yes. William Orbit died on July 23, 2026, at age 69.
Cause of death: William Orbit's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was William Orbit known for?
He was an English musician, composer and record producer.
More about William Orbit
Born: 15 December 1956.
Place of birth: Shoreditch.
Gender: male.
Occupation: record producer, composer, songwriter, guitarist, film producer, musician.
Nationality: United Kingdom.
Education: Minchenden School.
Career began: 1982.
Also known as: William Wainwright, William Ørbit.
Genres: Electronic, trip hop, jungle, breakbeat, jazzstep, ambient, techno, drum and bass, downtempo, IDM, orchestral.
Occupations: Composer, record producer, artist.
Instruments: Keyboards, guitar, percussion.
Years active: 1982–2026.
William Orbit, the English musician, DJ and record producer known professionally under that name, died on July 23, 2026, aged 69.
Born William Mark Wainwright in London on December 15, 1956, he built a four-decade career in electronic music and production, working across styles including ambient, techno, breakbeat and drum and bass. He also recorded and wrote for other artists, and his work reportedly sold more than 200 million recordings worldwide.
Orbit received multiple Grammy Awards, Ivor Novello Awards and other industry honours during a career that extended from 1982 to 2026.