Today, July 4th, is the birthday of Bill Withers, one of the most influential soul musicians of his time. The edit above and his portrait on the musical reference works/birthday calendars below are made by me, Frieke.
Bill Withers was born William Harrison Withers Jr. on July 4, 1938, in Slab Fork, West Virginia, United States. Withers grew up in a poor, rural environment. He was the youngest of six children, and his father passed away when Withers was only 13 years old. After high school, he joined the United States Navy, where he served for nine years.
After his time in the Navy, he moved to Los Angeles and worked as a factory worker while making music in the evenings. He eventually got a record contract with Sussex Records. His music was characterized by his warm vocal tone, simple arrangements, and personal and social songwriting. In 1970, he released his debut album, Just As I Am which featured the hit single Ain't No Sunshine. The song won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song.
Following the success of his debut album, Bill Withers continued to release several successful albums and singles. Withers' music combined elements of soul, R&B, funk, blues, and folk. His most iconic hits include: Ain't No Sunshine (1971), Lean on Me (1972), Lovely Day (1977) and Just the Two of Us (1981). After a period of tension and dissatisfaction with his record label, Withers decided to withdraw from the music industry. He stopped recording new music and rarely performed. Despite his relatively short musical career, Withers left a lasting impression on the music world. His songs have been covered countless times and remain popular with both old and new generations of music lovers. Withers won multiple Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.
Bill Withers passed away on March 30, 2020, from heart complications. He is remembered as one of the greatest singer-songwriters of his time.
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