Bill Withers
William Harrison Withers Jr., known as Bill Withers, was born on July 4, 1938, in Slab Fork, West Virginia. He was the youngest of six children and faced challenges early in life, including the death of his father when he was 13 and a stutter that made fitting in difficult. Raised in Beckley, West Virginia, Withers enlisted in the U.S. Navy at 17, serving for nine years, where he developed an interest in singing and songwriting.
After leaving the Navy in 1965, Withers moved to Los Angeles in 1967 to pursue a music career. He worked as a mechanical assembler while recording demo tapes. His breakthrough came when he signed with Sussex Records and released his debut album, "Just As I Am," in 1971, featuring the hit "Ain't No Sunshine," which won a Grammy Award. Withers' follow-up album, "Still Bill," included the iconic songs "Lean on Me" and "Use Me."
Withers continued to produce hits throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, including "Lovely Day" and "Just the Two of Us," the latter earning him another Grammy. Despite his success, Withers maintained a pragmatic view of the music industry, initially refusing to quit his day job even after achieving fame.
His life and career were documented in the film "Still Bill." Withers was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. He passed away on March 30, 2020, in Los Angeles, California, leaving behind a legacy of timeless music that continues to resonate across generations.
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