Madonna paid tribute to her late Ray of Light producer William Orbit, saying in an Instagram post that he gave her “a magic carpet to fly on.”

“I had an epiphany when I met you and started working with you,” she writes today. “I realized that music did not have to fit into categories or genres. So we created our own.” See the post below.

Orbit, who won a Grammy for his on Madonna’s multiplatinum album Ray of Light and also worked with such other artists as U2, Britney Spears, No Doubt and Blur, died July 23 at the age of 69. His death was announced by his family this week.

Madonna’s tribute today is accompanied by footage from the “Ray of Light” song video as well as a clip of them accepting the Best Pop Album Grammy in 1999.

“Goodbye William Orbit,” she writes. “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,” she continues. “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 studio was often church like and I would sit in silence, waiting for your ideas to explode out of your keyboard or your guitar and then I would run with them………..

“I miss those days. Only you could inspire me to write a song like Drowned World or Swim. You were so otherworldly. So singular.

“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.”

Morrissey, the ex-Smiths frontman with a penchant for canceling shows, has added to his track record: All four performances of his planned August Las Vegas residency have been scrubbed.

The four-show stand at the Wynn Las Vegas’ Encore Theater was set to begin August 14 and wrap up August 19, but ticket-holders received an email yesterday announcing the latest turn of events, according to a report by Deadline sister publication Rolling Stone today.

“Hello, we regret to inform you that Morrissey – Live in Concert, scheduled for August 14, 15, 18, and 19 at Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas, has been canceled,” the email reads. “Due to unforeseen logistical issues, the scheduled Las Vegas residency cannot take place.”

The event has been removed from The Wynn’s Entertainment page, and listings on Ticketmaster indicate, “Unfortunately, the Event Organizer has had to cancel your event.” When Rolling Stone broke the story this morning, Morrissey’s official website still listed the shows, but no more: The site’s tour page indicates the next show as Chicago’s Riot Fest on September 19. (The singer is also set to perform on September 26 at New York City’s CBGB Fesival, alongside Patti Smith, Buzzcocks, Bikini Kill and other punk pioneers).

Morrissey last performed on August 1 in Portugal.

As Rolling Stone notes, Morrissey “has become somewhat notorious for canceling or postponing gigs for a wide variety of reasons,” canceling 22 scheduled performances in 2025 alone, with another 10 postponed. Among the stated reasons for the cancellations have been illness, “adverse reaction to a prescription medication,” “sleep deprivation,” “flu” and “reasons completely beyond our control.” Vegas adds “unforeseen logistical challenges” to the mix.