R&B legend Bill Withers may be one of the more underappreciated songwriters of all-time. But Withers certainly got the legend treatment during the 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction when an icon introduced him. When Withers hit the stage, he quickly proved himself to be the night’s most charismatic speaker. Read the full […]
Author Archives: Marcia
22
Apr
Apr
Though he hasn’t properly performed in years, Bill Withers proved he’d lost none of his performing chops with the most memorable speech of the night, maybe one of the greatest in Hall of Fame history, packed with classic one-liners and personal reflection. Read the full story
Miguel + Keith Urban Team Up for “Ain’t No Sunshine” at 2014 Grammy Nominations Concert Read more
Anthony Hamilton pays homage to Bill Withers (“Lovely Day”) as part of a spirited medley paying tribute to soul artists from the past Read full story
19
Nov
Nov
It didn’t hurt that Bill Withers had musicians playing on his album that read like a who’s who throughout his career: Booker T. Jones (Booker T. & The MG’s); Stephen Stills (Crosby, Stills, & Nash); James Gadson, Ray Jackson, Melvin Dunlap, and Benorce Blackmon (The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band); Dorothy Ashby; Keni Burke; Ralph […]
03
Jan
Jan
In 1972, a year after the release of his first album, “Just As I Am,” Bill Withers performed a song on British television. “Harlem,” the record’s first single, had done little on the charts, but radio d.j.s had picked up on its B-side. Wearing a ribbed orange turtleneck and sweating visibly, the thirty-three-year-old rookie introduced the first song he had ever written…
03
Jan
Jan
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation,” muses music legend Bill Withers in the new documentary Still Bill. “I would like to know how it feels for my desperation to get louder.”
In 1985, the great R&B singer Bill Withers made his last record, leaving fans hungry for more of the sinuous grooves, poignant lyrics and smooth voice that made his songs so instantly recognizable.
03
Jan
Jan
We saw some killer shows in the last couple of weeks: The Radiohead and Kings of Leon sets at All Points West were brilliant; Wilco debuted a ridiculous new song at Lollapalooza while wearing rad Nudie suits; and Bob Dylan dazzled in Brooklyn. But sometimes we miss one. In this case it was the Bill Withers Tribute, part of the Celebrate Brooklyn series, which drew folks like Jim James (”Ain’t No Sunshine”), Nona Hendryx (”Lovely Day”) and others to pay tribute to the reclusive soul genius. And for the first time in decades, Withers himself stepped onstage, to sing “Grandma’s Hands.”
A middle-aged man with a heart full of songs makes a career change and leaves an indelible print on pop music. Over 30 years later, he’s still Bill Withers. And thank goodness for that.