Bill WithersR&B Singer/Songwriter

Personal History• Born July 4th, 1938 Slab City, West

Virginia

• Youngest of 13 children, only 6 lived

• Raised by Grandmother

• Slab City was a Coal Mining community

• Served in the Navy for 9 years, only Withers boy to avoid working in the mines

• Started music career at age 32 in 1970, stopping recording in 1985 at 47.

Singer/Song Writer• Self taught musician

o Guitar/Vocals• Freeform blues style

o Songs aren’t arranged in traditional stanzaso Lyrics focus around love, loss, and hardshipo Strong Narrative emphasis in his songso Often accompanied by bass guitar, drumso Later songs included synthesizer

• Played “easy listening R&B” later in his career

• Musically influenced by his Grandmother’s church which sang “Spirituals” and had freeform services.o “I liked my grandmothers church, it was spontaneous singing, there was no

program singing.” (Still Bill – Documentary)o This same freeform style would be echoed in his music throughout his career.

First Album/First Hit• “Ain’t No Sunshine” – classic

blues story of the wreckage left after a man and woman have a relationship.

• Free form blues o 2 Minutes Songo Only 3 verseso Bridge that repeats the same phrase 26

timeso Has no chorus o Solo singing, backed by small band.

• Album Produced by Booker T. Jones, famous R&B producer. Wrote “Green Onions”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIdIqbv7SPo

Simplicity• “The hardest thing in songwriting is to

be simple and yet profound. And Bill seemed to understand, intrinsically and instinctively, how to do that.” - Sting

• “Withers likes to form guitar chords that he can simply move up and down the neck without altering the position of his fingers. This simple approach leaves room for his baritone voice to map out subtle, articulate melodies.” Sasha Frere-Jones

• “I was feeling what I said” – Bill Withers

Hits• “Lean on Me”

o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPoTGyWT0Cgo Narrativeo Blues style focusing on bad times requiring

• “Just the Two of Us”o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEy6MGu3bIAo Loveo Smooth Jazz style o Shows his musical

• “Lovely Day” o http://vimeo.com/9247222o Vocal Harmonieso Not written by Witherso Holds a note for 18 seconds in “Chest Voice”

• “Use Me”o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVy5yOs0NSAo Powerful blues style pain and love working together

Struggle to Stay True• Bill Strugged to stay true to himself and his music

while being pressured to perform by Record Labels

• “Blacksperts” pressured him to change his music to be more commercially viable and typical of the current era’s R&B artists.

“Still Bill” – Documentary12:13

Legacy• Stopped recording

and touring in 1985

• 8 Studio Albums• 1 Live album• 31 charting

Singles

Legacy• Samples:

o “Grandma’s Hands” sampled in “No diggity” by Dr Dre / Blackstreet• No Diggity http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KL9mRus19o• Grandma’s Hands http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxjNauWYFfc

Bibliography• “Still Bill” – Documentary 2012• “As is” by Sasha Frere-Jones, New Yorker

o http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2010/03/08/100308crmu_music_frerejones?currentPage=1

• “Bill Withers” – Wikipediao http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Withers

• “BillWithers.com Biography” o http://www.billwithers.com/biography/