William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. (born July 4, 1938) is an American
singer-songwriterSinger-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and
musicianA musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "
Lean on Me"Lean on Me" is a song written and released by Bill Withers in 1972.It was his first and only number one on both the soul singles and the Billboard Hot 100. It is ranked number 205 on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Numerous cover versions have been recorded, and it is one of...
", "
Ain't No Sunshine"Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just as I Am, produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar and Al Jackson, Jr. on drums, as well as Withers on lead vocals and guitar. The song was released as a single in September...
", "
Use Me"Use Me" is a song composed and originally recorded by Bill Withers, and was included on his 1972 album Still Bill. It is his second-biggest hit in the United States, released in September 1972, and later reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
", "Just the Two of Us", "
Lovely Day"Lovely Day" is a song by American soul and R&B singer Bill Withers. Published in 1977 , the song was written by Withers and Skip Scarborough and appears on Withers' 1978 album Menagerie....
", and "
Grandma's Hands"Grandma's Hands" is a song written by Bill Withers about his own grandmother. It was included on his 1971 debut album Just as I Am, and was also released as a single, reaching number 18 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart and 42 on the Billboard Hot 100.The song has since been covered by many...
". His life was recently the subject of the documentary film
Still BillStill Bill is a 2009 documentary film about musician Bill Withers. It received its world premiere at the 2009 South by Southwest Film Festival...
.
Early life
Withers was born the youngest of thirteen children in the small coal-mining town of
Slab Fork, West VirginiaSlab Fork is an unincorporated community in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States with a population of 202. Slab Fork is located along a stream of the same name and West Virginia Route 54...
. Raised in nearby
Beckley, West VirginiaBeckley is a city in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States, which was founded on April 4, 1838. The 2008 population was estimated to be 16,832 by the U.S. Census Bureau. Early in its history, the town was known as Beckleyville and Raleigh Court House...
, Withers was thirteen years old when his father died. He enlisted with the
United States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
at age eighteen and served for nine years, during which time he became interested in singing and writing songs. Soon after his discharge from the Navy in 1970, he relocated to Los Angeles for a musical career.
Withers worked as an assembler for several different companies, including Douglas Aircraft Corporation, while recording
demo tapesA demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
with his own money, shopping them around and performing in
clubsA nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
at night. When he debuted with the song "
Ain't No Sunshine"Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just as I Am, produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar and Al Jackson, Jr. on drums, as well as Withers on lead vocals and guitar. The song was released as a single in September...
" he refused to resign his job because of his belief that the music business was a fickle industry and that he was still a novice compared to other acts.
Sussex Records
During early 1970, Withers' demonstration tape was audited favorably by
Clarence AvantClarence Avant is an American music executive, entrepreneur, and film producer. He was also known as the Godfather of Black Music.Avant's 75th birthday was celebrated by Billboard magazine, on its February 2006 issue....
of
Sussex Records-History:It was founded December 18, 1969 by Clarence Avant. Initially, it was located first at 6430 W Sunset Blvd at the corner of Sunset and Cahuenga Blvds. In 1972, it moved to 6255 W Sunset Blvd Suite 1902 both in Hollywood. From 1969 to 1974, all records were distributed by Buddah Records &...
. Avant signed Withers to a record deal and assigned
Booker T. JonesBooker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. and the MGs. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for lifetime...
to
produceA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Withers' first album. Four three-hour
studio sessionsJam sessions are often used by musicians to develop new material, find suitable arrangements, or simply as a social gathering and communal practice session. Jam sessions may be based upon existing songs or forms, may be loosely based on an agreed chord progression or chart suggested by one...
were planned to record the album, but funding caused the album to be recorded in three sessions with a six-month break between the second and final sessions.
Just as I AmJust As I Am is the debut studio album of American soul musician Bill Withers, released in 1971 on Sussex Records. The album features the hit single "Ain't No Sunshine", which was ranked at number 280 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Booker T. Jones produced,...
was released in 1971 with the tracks "Ain't No Sunshine" and "
Grandma's Hands"Grandma's Hands" is a song written by Bill Withers about his own grandmother. It was included on his 1971 debut album Just as I Am, and was also released as a single, reaching number 18 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart and 42 on the Billboard Hot 100.The song has since been covered by many...
" as singles. The album features
Stephen StillsStephen Arthur Stills is an American guitarist and singer/songwriter best known for his work with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash . He has performed on a professional level in several other bands as well as maintaining a solo career at the same time...
playing lead guitar.
The album was a success and Withers began touring with a band assembled from members of The
Watts 103rd Street Rhythm BandCharles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band is a pioneering American soul and funk band. Formed in the early 1960s, they had the most visibility from 1967 to 1973 when the band had 9 singles reach Billboard's pop and/or rhythm and blues Hot 100 lists, such as "Do Your Thing" , "Till You Get...
: drummer
James GadsonJames Gadson is an American drummer and session musician. Beginning his career in the late 1960s, Gadson has since become one of the most-recorded drummers in the history of R&B music....
, guitarist Benorce Blackmon,
keyboardistA keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
Ray Jackson, and
bassistThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Melvin Dunlap.
At the 14th annual Grammy Awards on Tuesday, March 14, 1972, Withers won a
Grammy Award for Best R&B SongThe Grammy Award for Best R&B Song has been awarded since 1959. From 1969 to 2000 it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song, from 1962 to 1968 it was known as Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and from 1959-1961 as Best Rhythm & Blues Performance...
for "
Ain't No Sunshine"Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just as I Am, produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar and Al Jackson, Jr. on drums, as well as Withers on lead vocals and guitar. The song was released as a single in September...
." The track had already sold over one million copies, and was awarded a
gold discMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the R.I.A.A. in September 1971.
During a hiatus from touring, Withers recorded his second album,
Still Bill. The single "
Lean on Me"Lean on Me" is a song written and released by Bill Withers in 1972.It was his first and only number one on both the soul singles and the Billboard Hot 100. It is ranked number 205 on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Numerous cover versions have been recorded, and it is one of...
" went to number one the week of July 8, 1972. It was Withers' second gold disc awarded track with confirmed sales in excess of three million. His single "Use Me" released in August 1972, became his third million seller, with the R.I.A.A. gold disc award taking place on October 12, 1972. A Friday, October 6, 1972 performance on a rainy night was recorded for the live album
Bill Withers, Live at Carnegie Hall released November 30, 1972. In 1974 Withers recorded the album
+'Justments. But he became involved in a legal dispute with the Sussex company and was unable to record thereafter.
During this time, he wrote and produced two songs on the
Gladys Knight & the PipsGladys Knight & The Pips were an R&B/soul family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, active from 1953 to 1989. The group was best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's "Soul" record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "Midnight...
record
I Feel a Song-Charts:AlbumSingles-Later Samples:*"The Way We Were"**"Can It Be All So Simple" by Wu-Tang Clan from the album Enter the Wu-Tang *"Love Finds Its Own Way"**"Susan's House" by Eels from the album Beautiful Freak...
, and in October 1974 performed in concert together with
James BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
,
Etta JamesEtta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
, and
B. B. KingRiley B. King , known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter.Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No.3 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. According to Edward M...
four weeks prior to the historic
Rumble in the JungleThe Rumble in the Jungle was a historic boxing event that took place on October 30, 1974, in the Mai 20 Stadium in Kinshasa, Zaire . It pitted then world Heavyweight champion George Foreman against former world champion and challenger Muhammad Ali...
fight between
ForemanGeorge Edward Foreman is an American two-time former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Olympic gold medalist, ordained Baptist minister, author and successful entrepreneur...
and
AliMuhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
in
ZaireThe Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
. Footage of his performance was included in the 1996
documentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
,
When We Were KingsWhen We Were Kings is a 1996 documentary film directed by Leon Gast about the famous Rumble in the Jungle heavyweight championship match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. The fight was held in Zaire on October 30, 1974.The film features a number of celebrities, including James Brown, Jim...
, and he is heard on the accompanying
soundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
. Other footage of his performance is included in the 2008 documentary film
Soul PowerSoul Power is a 2008 documentary film directed by Jeff Levy-Hinte about the Zaire 74 music festival which accompanied the Rumble in the Jungle heavyweight boxing championship match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in October 1974....
which is based on archival footage of the 1974 Zaire concert.
Columbia Records
Withers signed with
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 1975. His first release with the label,
Making Music, Making Friends, included the single "She's Lonely" which was featured in the film
Looking for Mr. GoodbarLooking for Mr. Goodbar is a 1975 novel by Judith Rossner. Rossner based the novel on the events surrounding the brutal murder of Roseann Quinn, a 28-year-old New York City schoolteacher in 1973.-References:...
. During the next three years he released an album each year with
Naked & Warm (1976),
MenagerieMenagerie is the sixth studio album by American R&B singer Bill Withers, released in 1977 on the Columbia label.-Reception:Menagerie is overall more uptempo and less introspective in feel than Withers' previous albums...
(1977, containing the successful
Lovely Day"Lovely Day" is a song by American soul and R&B singer Bill Withers. Published in 1977 , the song was written by Withers and Skip Scarborough and appears on Withers' 1978 album Menagerie....
) and
Bout Love (1978) and
Get On Down, the latter song was also on
Looking for Mr. GoodbarLooking for Mr. Goodbar is a 1975 novel by Judith Rossner. Rossner based the novel on the events surrounding the brutal murder of Roseann Quinn, a 28-year-old New York City schoolteacher in 1973.-References:...
soundtrack.
Due to problems with Columbia, he concentrated on joint projects between 1977 and 1985, including the successful "Just the Two of Us", with
jazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
saxophonistThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
Grover Washington, Jr.Grover Washington, Jr. was an American jazz-funk / soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with George Benson, John Klemmer, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, and Spyro Gyra, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre.He wrote some of his material and...
, which was released during June 1980. It won a Grammy on February 24, 1982. Withers next did
Soul Shadows with
The CrusadersThe Crusaders are an American music group popular in the early 1970s known for their amalgamated jazz, pop and soul sound. Since 1961, more than forty albums have been credited to the group , 19 of which were recorded under the name "The Jazz Crusaders" .-History:In 1960, following the demise of a...
, and
In the Name of Love with
Ralph MacDonaldRalph MacDonald is an American percussionist and song-writer. He joined Harry Belafonte's band at age 17. He wrote the Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway song "Where is the Love" with songwriting partner William Salter. Probably his best-known composition is the Grover Washington, Jr...
, the latter being nominated for a Grammy for vocal performance.
In 1985 came
Watching You, Watching Me, which featured the Top 40 rated Rhythm&Blues single "Oh Yeah". Withers ended his business association with Columbia Records after this release, which as of 2010 is his last studio album.
In 1988, a new version of "Lovely Day" from the 1977
Menagerie album, titled "Lovely Day (Sunshine Mix)" and
remixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed by
Ben LiebrandBen Liebrand is a dance music DJ. He has produced artists such as Forrest and MC Miker G & DJ Sven and remixed tracks by artists such as Salt N Pepa, Sting, TLC, Fun Fun, Tavares, Bill Withers, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Rick Astley, SWV and Phil Collins...
, reached the Top 10 in the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, leading to Withers' performance on the long-running
Top of the PopsTop of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
that year. The original release had scored #2 in the UK in 1973, and the re-release scored to #1.
In 1987, he received his ninth Grammy award nomination and on March 2, 1988 his third Grammy for Best Rhythm and Blues Song as songwriter for the re-recording of
Lean On Me by
Club NouveauClub Nouveau is a contemporary R&B-pop band that was formed by record producer/performer Jay King in 1986 in Sacramento, California, subsequent to the breakup of the Timex Social Club. Other members of Club Nouveau included original members Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy, Samuelle Prater, and...
on their debut album
Life, Love and Pain, released in 1986 on
Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
.
In 1996, a portion of his song "Grandma's Hands" was sampled in the song "
No Diggity"No Diggity" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen in her first recorded appearance. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 in the UK. It ranked at #91 on . It sold 1.6 million copies in 1996, and won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a...
" by BLACKstreet, featuring Dr. Dre. The single went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and sold 1.6 million copies and won a Grammy in 1999 for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
Withers contributed two songs to Jimmy Buffett's July 13, 2004 release
License To Chill. Following the reissues of
Still Bill on January 28, 2003 and
Just As I Am on March 8, 2005, there was speculation of previously unreleased material being issued as a new album. In 2006, Sony gave back to Withers his previously unreleased tapes.
In 2007, "Lean On Me" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Personal life
Withers married actress
Denise NicholasDenise Nicholas is an American actress and social activist who was involved in the American Civil Rights Movement...
in 1973, during her stint as the main actress of the popular sitcom,
Room 222Room 222 is an American comedy-drama television series produced by 20th Century Fox Television. The series aired on ABC from September 17, 1969, to January 11, 1974, for 112 episodes...
. The couple did not have any children and divorced the next year.
During the professional semi-hiatus which began in the late 1970s, Withers concentrated more on personal matters than professional recording. In 1976, he married Marcia Johnson and they had two children, Todd and Kori. Marcia eventually assumed the direct management of his Beverly Hills-based publishing companies, in which his children also became involved as they became adults.
Studio albums
| Year |
Album |
Chart positions |
US
certifications
|
Record label |
| US The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
|
US
R&BTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
|
UK The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
|
| 1971 |
Just as I Am Just As I Am is the debut studio album of American soul musician Bill Withers, released in 1971 on Sussex Records. The album features the hit single "Ain't No Sunshine", which was ranked at number 280 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Booker T. Jones produced,...
|
35 |
9 |
— |
|
Sussex -History:It was founded December 18, 1969 by Clarence Avant. Initially, it was located first at 6430 W Sunset Blvd at the corner of Sunset and Cahuenga Blvds. In 1972, it moved to 6255 W Sunset Blvd Suite 1902 both in Hollywood. From 1969 to 1974, all records were distributed by Buddah Records &...
|
| 1972 |
Still Bill Still Bill is the second studio album by American soul musician Bill Withers, released in 1972 by Sussex Records. It includes two hit singles: "Lean on Me", which is number 205 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and went to number 1 on the Billboard pop and R&B charts in summer of...
|
4 |
1 |
— |
Gold |
| 1974 |
+'Justments -Reception:Legal tussles between Withers and Sussex prevented further recording sessions until Columbia signed the singer a year later. Columbia bought Withers' back catalog, re-releasing his earlier hit records, but +'Justments was not reissued on CD until 2010.The album cover shows Withers...
|
67 |
7 |
— |
|
| 1975 |
Making Music Making Music is the fourth studio album by American R&B singer Bill Withers.-Reception:Released in 1975 this would be Bill's first album on Columbia Records due to Sussex Records folding in July 1975...
|
81 |
7 |
— |
ColumbiaColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
|
| 1976 |
Naked & Warm Released in 1976, Naked & Warm is the fifth studio album by American R&B singer Bill Withers and his second for Columbia Records.- Track listing :All songs written by Bill Withers.#Close To Me #Naked & Warm...
|
169 |
41 |
— |
| 1977 |
Menagerie Menagerie is the sixth studio album by American R&B singer Bill Withers, released in 1977 on the Columbia label.-Reception:Menagerie is overall more uptempo and less introspective in feel than Withers' previous albums...
|
39 |
16 |
27 |
Gold |
| 1979 |
'Bout Love 'Bout Love is the seventh studio album by American R&B singer Bill Withers, released in 1978 on the Columbia label.-Reception:Bill Withers collaborated with Paul Smith on 'Bout Love, who co-wrote all but "Memories Are That Way" with Withers...
|
134 |
50 |
— |
|
| 1985 |
Watching You, Watching Me |
143 |
42 |
60 |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified |
Live albums
| Year |
Album |
Chart positions |
Record label |
| US The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
|
US
R&BTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
|
| 1973 |
Live at Carnegie Hall |
63 |
6 |
Sussex -History:It was founded December 18, 1969 by Clarence Avant. Initially, it was located first at 6430 W Sunset Blvd at the corner of Sunset and Cahuenga Blvds. In 1972, it moved to 6255 W Sunset Blvd Suite 1902 both in Hollywood. From 1969 to 1974, all records were distributed by Buddah Records &...
|
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart |
Compilation albums
| Year |
Album |
Chart positions |
US
certifications |
Record label |
| US The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
|
US
R&BTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
|
UK The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
|
| 1975 |
The Best of Bill Withers |
182 |
33 |
— |
|
Sussex -History:It was founded December 18, 1969 by Clarence Avant. Initially, it was located first at 6430 W Sunset Blvd at the corner of Sunset and Cahuenga Blvds. In 1972, it moved to 6255 W Sunset Blvd Suite 1902 both in Hollywood. From 1969 to 1974, all records were distributed by Buddah Records &...
|
| 1980 |
The Best of Bill Withers |
— |
— |
— |
ColumbiaColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
|
| 1981 |
Greatest Hits |
183 |
58 |
90 |
Gold |
| 1994 |
Lean on Me: The Best of Bill Withers |
— |
— |
— |
|
LegacyLegacy Recordings is Sony Music Entertainment's catalog division. It was founded in 1990 by CBS Records under the leadership of Jerry Shulman, Richard Bauer, Gary Pacheco and Amy Herot to handle reissues of recordings from the vast catalogues of Columbia Records, Epic Records and associated...
|
| 2000 |
The Best of Bill Withers: Lean on Me |
— |
— |
— |
| 2005 |
Lovely Day: The Very Best of Bill Withers |
— |
— |
35 |
Sony MusicSony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
|
| 2008 |
Ain't No Sunshine: The Best of Bill Withers |
— |
— |
— |
Music Club Deluxe |
| 2009 |
Playlist: The Very Best of Bill Withers |
— |
— |
— |
Sussex/Columbia/Legacy |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified |
Singles
| Year |
Single |
Chart positions |
| US The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
|
US
R&BHot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
|
US
A/CThe Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
|
UK The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
|
| 1971 |
"Ain't No Sunshine "Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just as I Am, produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar and Al Jackson, Jr. on drums, as well as Withers on lead vocals and guitar. The song was released as a single in September...
" |
3 |
6 |
2 |
— |
| "Grandma's Hands "Grandma's Hands" is a song written by Bill Withers about his own grandmother. It was included on his 1971 debut album Just as I Am, and was also released as a single, reaching number 18 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart and 42 on the Billboard Hot 100.The song has since been covered by many...
" |
42 |
18 |
16 |
— |
| 1972 |
"Lean on Me "Lean on Me" is a song written and released by Bill Withers in 1972.It was his first and only number one on both the soul singles and the Billboard Hot 100. It is ranked number 205 on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Numerous cover versions have been recorded, and it is one of...
" |
1 |
1 |
4 |
18 |
| "Use Me "Use Me" is a song composed and originally recorded by Bill Withers, and was included on his 1972 album Still Bill. It is his second-biggest hit in the United States, released in September 1972, and later reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...
" |
2 |
2 |
14 |
— |
| "Let Us Love" |
47 |
17 |
33 |
— |
| 1973 |
"Kissing My Love" |
31 |
12 |
— |
— |
| "Friend of Mine" |
80 |
25 |
— |
— |
| 1974 |
"The Same Love That Made Me Laugh" |
50 |
10 |
— |
— |
| "You" |
— |
15 |
— |
— |
| "Heartbreak Road" |
89 |
13 |
— |
— |
| 1975 |
"It's All Over Now" (with Bobby Womack Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40...
) |
— |
68 |
— |
— |
| "Make Love to Your Mind" |
76 |
10 |
— |
— |
| 1976 |
"I Wish You Well" |
— |
54 |
— |
— |
| "Hello Like Before" |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| "If I Didn't Mean You Well" |
— |
74 |
— |
— |
| 1977 |
"Close to Me" |
— |
88 |
— |
— |
| "Lovely Day "Lovely Day" is a song by American soul and R&B singer Bill Withers. Published in 1977 , the song was written by Withers and Skip Scarborough and appears on Withers' 1978 album Menagerie....
" |
30 |
6 |
25 |
7 |
| 1978 |
"Lovely Night for Dancing" |
— |
75 |
— |
— |
| 1979 |
"Don't It Make It Better" |
— |
30 |
— |
— |
| "You Got the Stuff (Part 1)" |
— |
85 |
— |
— |
| 1981 |
"Just the Two of Us" (with Grover Washington, Jr. Grover Washington, Jr. was an American jazz-funk / soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with George Benson, John Klemmer, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, and Spyro Gyra, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre.He wrote some of his material and...
) |
2 |
3 |
2 |
34 |
| "I Want to Spend the Night" |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| "U.S.A." |
— |
83 |
— |
— |
| 1984 |
"In the Name of Love" (with Ralph MacDonald Ralph MacDonald is an American percussionist and song-writer. He joined Harry Belafonte's band at age 17. He wrote the Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway song "Where is the Love" with songwriting partner William Salter. Probably his best-known composition is the Grover Washington, Jr...
) |
58 |
13 |
6 |
95 |
| 1985 |
"Oh Yeah!" |
106 |
22 |
40 |
60 |
| "Something That Turns You On" |
— |
46 |
— |
— |
| "We Could Be Sweet Lovers" |
— |
— |
— |
— |
| 1987 |
"Lovely Day" (re-release) |
— |
— |
— |
92 |
| 1988 |
"Lovely Day" (remix version) |
— |
— |
— |
4 |
| "Ain't No Sunshine" ('88 version) |
— |
— |
— |
82 |
| 1990 |
"Harlem" (remix version) |
— |
— |
— |
98 |
| 2009 |
"Ain't No Sunshine" (re-release)1 |
— |
— |
— |
40 |
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart |
- 1 The original version of "Ain't No Sunshine" did not chart on the UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
until 2009, 38 years after its original release.
Awards
| Year |
Award |
Result |
Category |
Song |
| 1971 |
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
|
Win |
Best Rhythm & Blues Song The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song has been awarded since 1959. From 1969 to 2000 it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Song, from 1962 to 1968 it was known as Best Rhythm & Blues Recording, and from 1959-1961 as Best Rhythm & Blues Performance...
|
"Ain't No Sunshine" |
| 1981 |
Win |
Best Rhythm & Blues Song |
"Just the Two of Us" (Shared with songwriters Ralph MacDonald Ralph MacDonald is an American percussionist and song-writer. He joined Harry Belafonte's band at age 17. He wrote the Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway song "Where is the Love" with songwriting partner William Salter. Probably his best-known composition is the Grover Washington, Jr...
and William Salter) |
| 1987 |
Win |
Best Rhythm & Blues Song |
"Lean On Me" (as covered by Club Nouveau Club Nouveau is a contemporary R&B-pop band that was formed by record producer/performer Jay King in 1986 in Sacramento, California, subsequent to the breakup of the Timex Social Club. Other members of Club Nouveau included original members Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy, Samuelle Prater, and...
) |
| 1972 |
NAACP Image Awards |
Win |
Male Singer of the Year |
- |
Honors
- 2002: Honorary doctorate from Mountain State University
Mountain State University is a private nonsectarian university based in Beckley, West Virginia, United States. The university offers undergraduate and master's degree programs, as well as a doctoral degree program. Most of the university's programs focus on the professions in business,...
- 2005: Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
inductee
- 2006: ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Heritage award
- 2007: Inducted into West Virginia Music Hall of Fame
External links