It was covered by 8 Bit Arcade, Steel Drum Island, The Sound Effects, Theuns Jordaan and other artists. I’m not motivated to wanna draw attention to myself or travel all over the place. Bill Withers, the influential US soul singer who wrote Lean on Me, Ain’t No Sunshine and Lovely Day has died aged 81 of heart complications, according to a … "[3], For the song's third verse, Withers had intended to write more lyrics instead of repeating the phrase "I know" 26 times, but then followed the advice of the other musicians to leave it that way: "I was this factory worker puttering around," Withers said. The song reached the Top 40 again in 2009, when it was sung by Kris Allen in the eighth season of American Idol. His evergreen copyrights were overseen by his second wife, Marcia, who ran his Beverly Hills publishing office. 3 on the pop chart and No. He enlisted in the Navy at 18, and, as his speech disability receded, he began singing and songwriting. They described him in a statement as a “solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world”. [5] "Harlem" was subsequently covered by The 5th Dimension, who featured it on their Soul and Inspiration album and released it as a single. The legendary American singer, who was most famous for hits Ain't No Sunshine, Lovely Day, Just The … The singer died on … “Ain’t No Sunshine” singer Bill Withers has passed away from heart complications. 39, it was also a definitive break with his more personal songwriting approach. [1] String arrangements were done by Booker T. Jones. Joanna from Kielce, Poland this song is really, really great. In this difficult time, we pray his music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones.”. His music has been covered by hundreds of artists, and sampled by hip-hop artists like Tupac Shakur and BLACKstreet. In the UK the song was released as the third (and final) single from the album (after the two singles "Got to Be There" and "Rockin' Robin", a cover of Bobby Day's 1958 song). In 1973, Withers wed “Room 222” sitcom star Denise Nicholas, but the marriage lasted only a year. i need a quick answer. Bill Withers, February 1974 (Ed Caraeff/Getty Images) Bill Withers has died, The Associated Press reports. The song was released as a single in 1971, becoming a breakthrough hit for Withers, reaching number six on the U.S. R&B Chart and number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It's like going back for seconds on rat poison. He explained, in reference to the characters played by Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon, "They were both alcoholics who were alternately weak and strong. As Withers’ third album, 1974’s “+’Justments,” reached stores, his fast-moving career hit a major speed bump. Answer Save. 169, 1976). 18 on the R&B side. “‘Bout Love” (1979) topped out at No. © Copyright 2021 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. OKay Mikey. The song was recorded in Memphis by engineer Terry Manning. “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. 6 Answers. His last top-20 R&B hit was “In the Name of Love,” a collaboration with his former percussionist Ralph MacDonald, which rolled to No. In 1970, a demo tape he had recorded caught the interest of the well-traveled black record exec Clarence Avant, who signed Withers to his label, Sussex Records. He's best known for songs including "Lean on Me" and "Ain't No Sunshine." Staff writers with AP news.com.au April 4, 2020 9:34am Bill Withers, the sweet-voiced baritone behind such classic songs as "Ain't No Sunshine," "Lean on Me" and "Use Me" has died. His subdued, introspective, often acoustic-based style grew increasingly at odds with the hard funk and disco of the ‘70s, and disputes with his record labels slowed his production at the height of his popularity. While those songs are recognized today as classics, Withers was not able to top the surprise commercial success of his early career. 1 decade ago. 2 pop, No. [27], In 1999, South African male choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, (featuring vocalist Des'ree) released a version as a single from their studio album, In Harmony (1999). “Still Bill” (1972) topped its predecessor, shooting to No. Billboard ranked it as the No. Withers was born July 4, 1938, in the mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia. Music icon Bill Withers, known for the hits “Lean on Me,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lovely Day” and many others, has died from heart complications, his family said in a statement Friday. 'Ain't No Sunshine' Writer And Singer Bill Withers Has Died The soulful artist behind a number of 1970s hits died Monday of heart disease. Nonetheless, the singer was riotously received during an appearance at the music festival that coincided with Muhammad Ali and George Foreman’s 1974 heavyweight title bout in Zaire. Relevance. Lv 7. "Ain't No Sunshine" was originally released as the B-side of his debut single, "Harlem." In 1971, singer Michael Jackson recorded a rendition of Bill Withers' song for his debut album Got to Be There (released in early 1972). The American musician, who is known for hits such as "Lovely Day", "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lean On Me", passed away at the age of 81, his family said in a statement to the Associated Press. Withers performed "Ain't No Sunshine" on The Old Grey Whistle Test. 1 R&B). He made his last appearance in the national top 10 in 1981 with a guest vocal on “Just the Two of Us” (No. ... Aint No Sunshine Singer. 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