

His “Live at Carnegie Hall” in 1973 made Rolling Stone’s 50 Greatest Live Albums of All Time. Later would come the striking “ Lovely Day,” co-written with Skip Scarborough and featuring Withers holding the word “day” for almost 19 seconds, and “Just the Two Of Us,” co-written with Ralph MacDonald and William Salter. Withers went on to generate more hits a year later with the inspirational “Lean on Me,” the menacing “Who Is He (and What Is He to You)” and the slinky “Use Me” on his second album, “Still Bill.” 3 on the Billboard charts and spent a total of 16 weeks in the top 40.

“Ain’t No Sunshine” was originally released as the B-side of his debut single, “Harlem.” But radio DJs flipped the disc and the song climbed to No. It had the hits “Grandma’s Hands” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” which was inspired by the Jack Lemmon film “Days of Wine and Roses.” He was photographed on the cover, smiling and holding his lunch pail.

In 1971, signed to Sussex Records, he put out his first album, “Just As I Am,” with the legendary Booker T. After his discharge, he moved to Los Angeles, worked at an aircraft parts factory, bought a guitar at a pawn shop and recorded demos of his tunes in hopes of landing a recording contract. He joined the Navy at 17 and spent nine years in the service as an aircraft mechanic installing toilets. After his parents divorced when he was 3, Withers was raised by his mother’s family in nearby Beckley. Withers, who overcame a childhood stutter, was born the last of six children in the coal mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia. He was a beautiful man with a stunning sense of humor and a gift for truth.” "Bill Withers’ songs are among the most treasured and profound in the American songbook - universal in the way they touch people all over the world, transcending genre and generation. “We lost a giant of songwriting today," ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams said in a statement.
Lean on me song 2015 full#
2īilly Dee Williams tweeted “your music cheered my heart and soothed my soul” and Chance the Rapper said Withers' songs are “some of the best songs of all time” and “my heart really hurts for him.” Lenny Kravitz said “My soul always has and always will be full of your music.” Harry Styles Performs With Lizzo at Coachella Weekend No. They have powerful melodies and perfect grooves melded with a smooth voice that conveys honesty and complex emotions without vocal acrobatics. Withers’ songs during his brief career have become the soundtracks of countless engagements, weddings and backyard parties. In this difficult time, we pray his music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones.” “As private a life as he lived close to intimate family and friends, his music forever belongs to the world. 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,” the family statement read. “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father. His death comes as the public has drawn inspiration from his music during the coronavirus pandemic, with health care workers, choirs, artists and more posting their own renditions on “Lean on Me” to help get through the difficult times. The three-time Grammy Award winner, who withdrew from making music in the mid-1980s, died on Monday in Los Angeles, the statement said. With a bit of explanation, they shouldn't be a major (or minor) problem for you.Bill Withers, who wrote and sang a string of soulful songs in the 1970s that have stood the test of time, including “ Lean on Me, ” “Lovely Day” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” has died from heart complications, his family said in a statement to The Associated Press. YESTERDAY, along with a few other songs we've been learning, introduces a Major 7th (Fma7) and a couple of Minor 7th chords. You have probably been getting comfortable with a lot of Major chords, and a few Minor and Seventh (7th) chords by now. This also was the first use of other musicians (a string quartet) along with a Beatles recording. However, after a few weeks, his fears resolved, he penned the lyrics. He awoke, and after playing it on a piano, was convinced that he had stolen it from another song.

One very interesting detail about the song's origin is that the tune for YESTERDAY came to Paul McCartney in a dream. In 1999, a BBC Radio poll voted YESTERDAY the "Best Song of the 20th Century", and MTV and Rolling Stone named it the #1 Pop Song of all time. Besides the original recording by Paul McCartney and The Beatles, it has been covered over 2,200 times by other musicians. YESTERDAY is one of the most popular songs of all time.
