Bill Withers
Wikimp3 information about the music of Bill Withers. On our website we have 43 albums and 70 collections of artist Bill Withers. You can find useful information and download songs of this artist. We also know that Bill Withers represents Hip Hop/R&B genres.
Biography
[Edit]Songwriter/singer/guitarist Bill Withers is best remembered for the classic "Lean on Me" and his other million-selling singles "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Use Me," but he has a sizable cache of great songs to his credit. Al Jarreau recorded an entire CD of Withers' songs on Tribute to Bill Withers (Culture Press 1998). His popular radio-aired LP track from Still Bill, "Who Is He? (And What Is He to You?)," was a 1974 R&B hit for Creative Source.
Born July 4, 1938, in Slab Fork, WV, Withers was the youngest of six children. His father died when he was a child and he was raised by his mother and grandmother. After a nine-year stint in the Navy, Withers moved to Los Angeles to pursue a music career in 1967. He recorded demos at night while working at the Boeing aircraft company where he made toilet seats. His recording career began after being introduced to Clarence Avant, president of Sussex Records.
Stax Records stalwart Booker T. Jones produced his debut album, Just As I Am (with some co-production by Al Jackson, Jr.), which included his first charting single, "Ain't No Sunshine" that went gold and made it to number six R&B and number three pop in summer 1971 and won a Grammy as Best R&B Song. Its follow-up, "Grandma Hands," peaked at number 18 R&B in fall 1971. The song was later covered by the Staple Singers and received airplay as a track from their 1973 Stax LP Be What You Are. "Just As I Am" featured lead guitar by Stephen Stills and hit number five R&B in summer 1971.
Withers wrote "Lean on Me" based on his experiences growing up in a West Virginia coal mining town. Times were hard and when a neighbor needed something beyond their means, the rest of the community would chip in and help. He came up with the chord progression while noodling around on his new Wurlitzer electric piano. The sound of the chords reminded Withers of the hymns that he heard at church while he was growing up. On the session for "Lean on Me," members of the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band ("Express Yourself," "Loveland") were used: drummer James Gadson, keyboardist Ray Jackson, guitarist Benorce Blackman (co-wrote with Withers "The Best You Can" from Making Music), and bassist Melvin Dunlop. His second gold single, "Lean on Me," landed at number one R&B and number one pop for three weeks on Billboard's charts in summer 1972. It was included on his Still Bill album which went gold, holding the number one R&B spot for six weeks and hitting number four pop in spring 1972. "Lean on Me" has became a standard with hit covers by U.K. rock band Mud and Club Nouveau. "Lean on Me" was also the title theme of a 1989 movie starring Morgan Freeman. Still Bill also included "Use Me" (gold, number two R&B for two weeks and number two pop for two weeks in fall 1972) .
Withers' Sussex catalog also included Bill Withers Live at Carnegie Hall, 'Justments, and The Best of Bill Withers. Withers contributed "Better Days" to the soundtrack of the Bill Cosby 1971 western Man And Boy, released on Sussex. There was a duet single with Bobby Womack on United Artists, "It's All Over Now," from summer 1975.
After a legal battle with Sussex, Withers signed with Columbia Records. Columbia later bought his Sussex masters when the label went out of business. Withers was briefly married actress Denise Nicholas (ABC-TV's Room 222 and the 1972 horror film Blacula) in the early '70s. His releases on Columbia were Making Music ("Make Love to Your Mind," number ten R&B), which hit number seven R&B in late 1975; Naked and Warm; Menagerie ("Lovely Day," a number six R&B hit), which went gold in 1977; and 'Bout Love from spring 1979.
Teaming with Elektra Records artist Grover Washington, Jr., Withers sang the crystalline ballad "Just the Two of Us," written by Withers, Ralph MacDonald, and William Salter. It went to number three R&B and held the number two pop spot for three weeks in early 1981. "Just the Two of Us" was redone with hilarious effect in the Mike Myers movie Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, released in summer 1999. Withers teamed with MacDonald for MacDonald's Polydor single "In the Name of Love" in summer 1984.
Withers' last charting LP was Watching You, Watching Me in spring 1985. He occasionally did dates with Grover Washington, Jr. during the '90s. His songs and recordings have been used as both the source of numerous covers (Aaron Neville's "Use Me") and sampled by a multitude of hip-hop/rap groups. Withers resurfaced in the 21st century, playing concerts, and having his albums reissued in various countries. He is also the subject of the 2010 bio-documentary Still Bill, by filmmakers Damani Baker and Alex Vlack.
Title: Bill Withers' Greatest Hits - Just the Two of Us & Soul Shadows
Artist: Bill Withers
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Collections
Title: Top Of The Pops 1972 CD1
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Reggae, Dub, Pop, Pop Rock
Title: Top Of The Pops 1972 CD4
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Reggae, Pop
Title: Sounds Of The Seventies: 1972
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock, Reggae, Dub, Pop, Pop Rock
Title: Sounds Of The Seventies: 1971
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Folk Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Pop
Title: The Best Smooth Jazz... Ever! (CD1)
Genre: Jazz
Title: Ultimate Soul Christmas
Title: R & B Christmas Classics
Genre: New Age, Hip Hop/R&B, Traditional Pop Music
Title: I Love 80'S CD4
Title: The Best 100 Love Songs CD2
Title: Box Anos 80 Intenacional - Som Livre (CD4)
Genre: Pop
Title: Return To Soul City (CD2)
Genre: Pop Rock
Title: 105 Disco Hits (CD1)
Genre: Disco
Title: RnB Sexy Remix Club
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: Golden Love Songs Vol. 2 - Move Closer
Genre: Pop
Title: Essential 80s Love (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Rock, Disco, Pop Rock, Synth Pop
Title: Essential Ballads (CD3)
Title: Chilled R & B Summer 2011 (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Pop Rock
Title: Sounds Of The Summer
Genre: House, Trance, Dancefloor, Pop, Dance Pop
Title: Schmusesongs Vol. 2 (CD2)
Genre: Pop
Title: Love Songs Top 100 (CD3)
Title: The Love Album (CD1)
Genre: Soul, Club/Dance, Country, Country Rock, Progressive Country , Pop, Country Pop
Title: Ultimate Love (Disc 2)
Genre: Country, Christian Country Music, Pop, Pop Rock
Title: 50 Great Songs (CD3)
Title: World'S Best Mum 2013
Title: Beautiful Songs For You
Title: Fantastisk 80'Ere (CD1)
Genre: Hard Rock, World Music, Pop, Kids
Title: Best Of 70'S Soul
Title: Hallelujah - CD2
Genre: Club/Dance
Title: Dance Classics: The Remixes, Volume 2
Genre: Electronica, Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Funk
Title: Dance Classics: The Remixes, Volume 3
Genre: Electronica, Soul, Rock, Funk
Title: Pure... Legends
Title: The Masters Series: 70s Soul Vol. 2
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Disco, Pop, Funk
Title: Eskimo Volume 2
Genre: Electronica, House, Disco, Synth Pop, Funk
Title: Pure... 70s Dance Party (CD2)
Genre: Electronica, Soul, Pop, Funk
Title: BreakUp Songs (Universal 2013) (CD1)
Genre: Pop
Title: BreakUp Songs (CD01)
Genre: Blues
Title: Feel Good 80s (CD2)
Genre: Electronica, Rock, Pop
Title: Q - Music Top 500 Van De Zomer (CD3)
Genre: Dancefloor, Pop
Title: Always & Forever 2012 (CD1)
Title: The Workout Mix Beach Fit (CD3)
Genre: Club/Dance
Title: Magic Summertime (CD3)
Genre: Pop
Title: 80 Greatest Songs Of All Times (CD2)
Genre: Pop Rock
Title: Playboy Jazz - In A Smooth Groove (CD2)
Genre: Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Title: Forever Pop Der 70er (4 CD) (CD2)
Genre: Pop
Title: Pure... '70s (CD1)
Title: Pure... '80s Soul Grooves (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Disco
Title: Pure... '80s Soul Grooves (CD2)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Disco
Title: Fetenhits Funk And Soul
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Funk
Title: Sonar 1000 (Radio 1 BE) Volume 3 (CD03)
Genre: Blues
Title: Ferry Maat's Soul Show 03 Soft Soul Show The Ballads (CD3)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Disco, Funk
Title: A Touch Of Soul (CD1)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: A Touch Of Soul (CD2)
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul
Title: Abstract Funk Theory - Lo Fidelity Allstars (CD1)
Genre: Rock, Club/Dance
Title: Les Annees 70 Les Années Pop (CD2)
Genre: Pop
Title: 100 Hits Soul (CD02)
Genre: Soul
Title: Las 500 Mejores Canciones De La Historia (CD11)
Genre: Soul, Rock, Rock & Roll, World Music, Country, Pop, Alternative
Featuring albums
Title: The Best of Bobby Womack - The Soul Years
Artist: Bobby Womack
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Funk
Title: The Best Of Bobby Womack - The Soul Years (Digital) [+digital booklet]
Artist: Bobby Womack
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B
Title: Everythings Gonna Be Alright (The American Singles 1967 - 76) (CD2)
Artist: Bobby Womack
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Blues, Funk
Title: Singers And Songwriters 1972-1973 (CD2)
Artist: The Starlite Orchestra & Singers
Genre: Rock, World Music
Title: Down Town Funk (Original Soundtrack) (CD2)
Artist: Ministry Of Sound
Genre: Soul, Disco, Theatre/Soundtrack, Funk
Title: Let Your Heart Sing 3CD (CD3)
Artist: Ballads
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Gospel, Indie Pop, World Music, Pop Rock, Folk
Title: Music From the Motion Picture: Southside with You
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Theatre/Soundtrack
Title: The Rhinestone Hillbilly: A Tribute to Little Jimmy Dickens
Artist: Various Artists
Genre: Country
Title: The Best Track 2017 By: 93 Music
Artist: Varios Artist
Genre: Electronica, Dancefloor, Dance Pop
Title: Pop Mix By Ben Liebrand
Artist: Ben Liebrand
Genre: Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Jazz, Rock, Disco, Pop Rock, Synth Pop
Title: Studio Brussel - Boitlyfe
Artist: Average Rob, Omdat Het Kan Soundsystem
Genre: Electro, Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Pop, Dance Pop
Title: In The Name Of Love: The Elektra Recordings 1979-1984 (CD1)
Artist: Grover Washington, Jr.
Genre: Jazz, Soul Jazz, Smooth Jazz