William Harrison Withers Jr. was an American singer-songwriter and musician who lived from July 4, 1938, to March 30, 2020. Ain’t No Sunshine (1971), “Grandma’s Hands” (1971), “Use Me” (1972), “Lean on Me” (1972), “Lovely Day” (1977), and “Just the Two of Us” are just a few of the singles he had throughout the course of his 18-year career (1981).
Withers was nominated for six Grammy Awards and won three of them. In 2009, the documentary Still Bill focused on his life. Withers was enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 as well as the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005. His songs were included in the Grammy Hall of Fame with two of them.
He left the Navy in 1965 and moved to Los Angeles in 1967 to pursue a music career. His first single, “Three Nights and a Morning,” was released in 1967. Arranged by Mort Garson, the song went unnoticed at the time but was later reworked by Withers as the track “Harlem”.
Withers worked as an assembler for several companies, including Douglas Aircraft Corporation, IBM, and Ford, while recording demo tapes with his own money, selling them, and performing in nightclubs. When his song “Ain’t No Sunshine” became a hit in 1971, he refused to resign because he believed the music business was a volatile one.
What nationality was Bill Withers?
Bill Withers is an American citizen.
