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Juan Atkins, regarded as one of techno music's founding fathers, dead at 64

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FOX Local
Entertainment
Published November 1, 2026 6:37 PM EST
Published November 1, 2026 6:37 PM EST
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Electronic music artist Juan Atkins performs at the Electronic Music Awards at Willow Studios on September 21, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)

The Brief

    • Juan Atkins, the globally influential artist known as the "Godfather of Detroit techno," has died at age 64 after being found unresponsive in his Mexico City hotel room ahead of a scheduled DJ performance.
    • Atkins shaped electronic music by co-founding the group Cybotron, launching the Metroplex label, releasing seminal tracks as Model 500, and forming the Belleville Three with Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson to establish Detroit as a global epicenter for techno.
    • Fellow Belleville Three members Saunderson and May shared heartfelt tributes honoring Atkins as a visionary, mentor, and originator whose guidance, work ethic, and musical journey transformed global music forever.

Juan Atkins, a pioneering artist dubbed the "Godfather of Detroit techno" and whose impact extended globally, has died at 64, according to his agency, Greensmith Artists.

What we know:

The agency posted a photo of Atkins on its Instagram page Sunday with his years of birth and death. 

Atkins died in his sleep in Mexico City, where he was set to DJ, the Detroit Free Press reported, citing several of Atkins’ friends and colleagues in the Detroit techno scene.  

Billboard reported that he had been found unresponsive in his hotel room on Saturday ahead of a scheduled performance at YuYu Cine Club.

Big picture view:

A Detroit native, he grew up in Belleville where he met fellow students Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May. Together, the three would eventually become known as the Belleville Three and would be credited as architects of the Detroit techno sound.

They helped establish the Motor City as a global center for electronic music in the 1980s.

Atkins formed the group Cybotron with producer Rik Davis in 1980, releasing their first album, "Enter," in 1983. Atkins launched Metroplex, his own label, two years later under which he released music as Model 500. His first single, "No UFO’s," helped bring Detroit’s developing techno sound to the United Kingdom, Billboard reported. He would continue releasing music under his own name and aliases like Infiniti and Audio Tech. 

He would reunite with Saunderson and May, performing around the world throughout the 2010s. 

What they're saying:

Saunderson and May both posted about Atkins on their respective Instagram accounts. 

Saunderson called the news "heartbreaking." 

"Juan was the originator of Techno, a true visionary who opened the door for so many of us, myself included," he said. "I’ll never forget how he showed me how to finish my first record, "Triangle of Love." That meant a lot to me then, and it still does today."

He said he and Atkins "shared a journey that changed music forever," adding he will always be grateful for Atkins’ "friendship, guidance and everything he gave to our scene."

"He never complained. He never mentioned how sick he was for years," May said in a video. "He just went out and did his job the best way he could. Respect his legacy. Respect the effort. Respect the work. Respect the accomplishments." 

What we don't know:

A cause of death for Atkins has not yet been reported. 

The Source: Information for this story came from Greensmith Artists, the Detroit Free Press, Billboard, and Instagram accounts of Kevin Saunderson and Derrick May. This story was reported from Orlando. 






 

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