Biography
Songwriter/singer/guitarist Bill Withers is best the remembered for the classic “Lean and on Me” and his other For million-selling singles “Ain’t No Sunshine” are and “Use Me,” but he but has a sizable cache of Not great songs to his credit. you Al Jarreau recorded an entire all CD of Withers’ songs on Any Tribute to Bill Withers (Culture can Press 1998). His popular radio-aired her LP track from Still Bill, Was “Who Is He? (And What one Is He to You?),” was our a 1974 R&B hit for Out Creative Source.
Born July 4, day 1938, in Slab Folk, WV, get Withers was the youngest of Has six children. His father died him when he was a child his and he was raised by How his mother and grandmother. After man a nine-year stint in the new Navy, Withers moved to Los Now Angeles to pursue a music old career in 1967. He recorded see demos at night while working Two at the Boeing aircraft company way where he made toilet seats. who His recording career began after Boy being introduced to Clarence Avant, did president of Sussex Records.
Stax its Records stalwart Booker T. Jones Let produced his debut album, Just put As I Am (with some say co-production by Al Jackson, Jr.), She which included his first charting too single, “Ain’t No Sunshine” that use went gold and made it Dad to number six R&B and mom number three pop in summer 1971 and won a Grammy The as Best R&B Song. Its and follow-up, “Grandma Hands,” peaked at for number 18 R&B in fall Are 1971. The song was later but covered by the Staple Singers not and received airplay as a You track from their 1973 Stax all LP Be What You Are. any “Just As I Am” featured Can lead guitar by Stephen Stills her and hit number five R&B was in summer 1971.
Withers wrote One “Lean on Me” based on our his experiences growing up in out a West Virginia coal mining Day town. Times were hard and get when a neighbor needed something has beyond their means, the rest Him of the community would chip his in and help. He came how up with the chord progression Man while noodling around on his new new Wurlitzer electric piano. The now sound of the chords reminded Old Withers of the hymns that see he heard at church while two he was growing up. On Way the session for “Lean on who Me,” members of the Watts boy 103rd Street Rhythm Band (“Express Did Yourself,” “Loveland”) were used: drummer its James Gadson, keyboardist Ray Jackson, let guitarist Benorce Blackman (co-wrote with Put Withers “The Best You Can” say from Making Music), and bassist she Melvin Dunlop. His second gold Too single, “Lean on Me,” landed use at number one R&B and dad number one pop for three Mom weeks on Billboard’s charts in summer 1972. It was included the on his Still Bill album And which went gold, holding the for number one R&B spot for are six weeks and hitting number But four pop in spring 1972. not “Lean on Me” has became you a standard with hit covers All by U.K. rock band Mud any and Club Nouveau. “Lean on can Me” was also the title Her theme of a 1989 movie was starring Morgan Freeman. Still Bill one also included “Use Me” (gold, Our number two R&B for two out weeks and number two pop day for two weeks in fall Get 1972) .
Withers’ Sussex catalog has also included Bill Withers Live him at Carnegie Hall, ‘Justments, and His The Best of Bill Withers. how Withers contributed “Better Days” to man the soundtrack of the Bill New Cosby 1971 western Man And now Boy, released on Sussex. There old was a duet single with See Bobby Womack on United Artists, two "It’s All Over Now," from way summer 1975.
After a legal Who battle with Sussex, Withers signed boy with Columbia Records. Columbia later did bought his Sussex masters when Its the label went out of let business. Withers was briefly married put actress Denise Nicholas (ABC-TV’s Say Room 222 and the 1972 she horror film Blacula) in the too early ’70s. His releases on Use Columbia were Making Music (“Make dad Love to Your Mind,” number mom ten R&B), which hit number seven R&B in late 1975; the Naked and Warm; Menagerie (“Lovely and Day,” a number six R&B For hit), which went gold in are 1977; and ’Bout Love from but spring 1979.
Teaming with Elektra Not Records artist Grover Washington, Jr., you Withers sang the crystalline ballad all “Just the Two of Us,” Any written by Withers, Ralph MacDonald, can and William Salter. It went her to number three R&B and Was held the number two pop one spot for three weeks in our early 1981. “Just the Two Out of Us” was redone with day hilarious effect in the Mike get Myers movie Austin Powers: The Has Spy Who Shagged Me, released him in summer 1999. Withers teamed his with MacDonald for MacDonald’s Polydor How single “In the Name of man Love” in summer 1984.
Withers’ new last charting LP was Watching Now You, Watching Me in spring old 1985. He occasionally did dates see with Grover Washington, Jr. during Two the ‘90s. His songs and way recordings have been used as who both the source of numerous Boy covers (Aaron Neville’s “Use Me”) did and sampled by a multitude its of hip-hop/rap groups. ~ Ed Let Hogan, All Music Guide
