Bill Withers, Who Sang ‘Lean on Me’ and ‘Lovely Day,’ Dies at 81
He received three Grammy Awards such as “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Use Me” with his hits in the 1970s. Withers recently released an album in 1985.
Bill Withers, who was once a Navy aircraft mechanic after teaching guitar, died in Los Angeles on Monday’s “Lie To Me”, “Use Me” and “No Sun”. He was 81 years old.
Her death was explained in a statement from her family that she died of “heart complications”.
A reminding, bold R&B voice that could embody its loss or hope, Mr. Withers was in his 30s when he released his first album, “Just Like Me” in 1971. A mourning lament (“There is no sunlight when it goes / And it has always been too long / It has always been gone”) Billboard broke Top 10. Friendship and support anthem that hit number 1 in 1972 and was redesigned countless times by a wide variety of artists.
William Harrison Withers Jr. Born on July 4, 1938 at W.Va, Slab Fork. His father worked in coal mines.
Mr. Withers, 17 years old, joined the Navy, wanting to avoid his coal mine career.
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“I didn’t want to be a cook or a butler,” said Rolling Stone. “That’s why I went to the aircraft-mechanic school.”
It served nine years, some of which were deployed in Guam. While deployed in California in 1965, he left the Navy and eventually got a job at an aircraft parts factory. A visit to a club exhibited by Lou Rawls was a catalyst to change his life.
“I was making $ 3 an hour, looking for friendly women, but nobody found me interesting,” he said. “Then Rawls came in and all these women are talking to him.”
Mr. Withers performed in the early 1970s. He taught himself how to play the guitar and was about 30 years old when he released his first album.Credit … Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
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