Singersongwriter wrote songs ‘people could identify with’
US singer Bill Withers’ (81) hits included Lean on Me, Lovely Day
and Ain’t No Sunshine.
.
The threetime Grammy Award winner, who withdrew from making music in the mid1980s, died late last month from heart complications in Los Angeles, a family statement said.
Withers’ songs during his brief career have become the soundtracks of countless engagements, weddings and backyard parties.
Lean on Me, a paean to friendship, was performed at the inaugurations of both Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
Ain’t No Sunshine and Lean on Me are among Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.
His 1973 Live at Carnegie Hall in made Rolling Stone’s 50 greatest live albums of all time.
‘‘The hardest thing in songwriting is to be simple and yet profound. And Bill seemed to understand, intrinsically and instinctively, how to do that,’’ Sting said in Still Bill, a 2010 documentary of Withers.
He was awarded Grammys as a songwriter for Ain’t No Sunshine in 1971 and for Just the Two Of Us in 1981.
In 1987, Withers received his ninth Grammy nomination and third Grammy as a songwriter for the rerecording of the 1972 hit Lean on Me by Club Nouveau.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 by Stevie Wonder.
Withers also was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005.
‘‘I’m not a virtuoso, but I was able to write songs that people could identify with. I don’t think I’ve done bad for a guy from Slab Fork, West Virginia,’’ Withers told Rolling Stone in 2015.
Withers’ death came at a time the public has drawn inspiration from his music during the coronavirus pandemic. Health care workers, choirs, artists and more have posted their own renditions of Lean on Me to help get through the difficult times.
‘‘We are devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father,’’ the family statement said.
‘‘A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other.
‘‘As private a life as he lived close to intimate family and friends, his music forever belongs to the world. In this difficult time, we pray his music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones.’’
His death caused a torrent of appreciation on social media, including from former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, who said Withers’ music has been a cherished part of her life.
‘‘It added to my joy in the good times, and also gave me comfort and inspiration when I needed it most,’’ she tweeted.
Singer Jose James said ‘‘we need his message of unity now more than ever’’.
Susanna Hoffs sent ‘‘peace and love’’ and Billy Dee Williams tweeted ‘‘your music cheered my heart and soothed my soul’’.
He is survived by his wife, Marcia, and children, Todd and Kori. — AP
❛ We need his message of unity now more than ever.
Singer Jose James