Bill Withers

Bill Withers
Withers in 1976
Withers in 1976
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Harrison Withers Jr.
Born(1938-07-04)July 4, 1938
Slab Fork, West Virginia, U.S.
DiedMarch 30, 2020(2020-03-30) (aged 81)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • musician
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
Years active
  • 1967–1985
  • 2004
Labels
Websitebillwithers.com

William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer and songwriter. He is known for having several hits over a career spanning 18 years, including "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Grandma's Hands" (1971), "Use Me" (1972), "Lean on Me" (1972), "Lovely Day" (1977) and "Just the Two of Us" (1980) (recorded in collaboration with Grover Washington Jr.). Withers won three Grammy Awards out of nine total nominations.

His life was the subject of the 2009 documentary film Still Bill.[2] Withers was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.[3][4] Two of his songs, "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lean on Me", were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[5]

  1. ^ Bill Withers soul music BBC. Retrieved December 9, 2021
  2. ^ Hale, Mike (January 26, 2010). "Still Bill (2009) A Singer Who Stopped His Showing Off". The New York Times.
  3. ^ Greene, Andy (December 16, 2014). "Green Day, Lou Reed, Joan Jett, Ringo Starr Lead 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  4. ^ Genzlinger, Neil; Taylor, Derrick Bryson (April 3, 2020). "Bill Withers, Who Sang 'Lean on Me' and 'Ain't No Sunshine,' Dies at 81". The New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  5. ^ Grein, Paul (April 3, 2020). "Bill Withers Set This Grammy Record in 1988 – And It Took More Than 25 Years to Break". Billboard. Retrieved January 29, 2021.