Bill Withers
July 4, 1938 — March 30, 2020 — Los Angeles, California
Bill Withers wrote songs so deeply embedded in popular culture that millions of people who know every word have never once thought about who made them. Born in a West Virginia coal-mining community, he didn't release his first record until he was thirty-two — and then he wrote some of the most enduring music of the twentieth century.
From Slab Fork to Los Angeles
Born William Harrison Withers Jr. on July 4, 1938 in Slab Fork, West Virginia, he enlisted in the Navy at seventeen and served nine years. He moved to Los Angeles in 1967, working factory jobs at Douglas Aircraft, IBM, and Weber Aircraft while writing songs at night — refusing to quit his day job until the industry proved it could sustain him.
Just as I Am
His debut album, Just as I Am (1971), introduced "Ain't No Sunshine" — which won the Grammy for Best R&B Song. "Lean on Me" (1972) hit number one. "Lovely Day" (1977) featured one of the longest held notes ever on radio. "Just the Two of Us" (1981) with Grover Washington Jr. earned his third Grammy.
Did You Know?
Slab Fork, West Virginia — where Withers was born — was a coal camp town with a population of a few hundred. He didn't release his debut album until he was 32. When Just As I Am went into production, he was still on the assembly line at a Los Angeles factory making toilet seats for Boeing 747s. He asked to keep the job until the record actually sold.
Walking Away
By 1985 he had walked away — no announcements, no farewell tours. He moved into a quiet private life and gave only the rarest interviews. He never seemed to regret it.
The music never stopped working in his absence. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. Both "Lean on Me" and "Ain't No Sunshine" are in the Grammy Hall of Fame. He died on March 30, 2020.