Bill Withers Tribute

On May 1 2020 From The Grassroots will pay tribute to singer, Songwriter Bill Withers  .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 on March 30 2020- He was 81.

He joined the Navy at 17 and spent nine years in the service as an aircraft mechanic installing toilets. 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. In 1971, signed to Sussex Records, he put out his first album, “Just As I Am,” with the legendary Booker T. Jones at the helm. 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.” We will play the original interview where talks about the inspiration for his music, the hypocrisy  of the music industry  and the joy he felt in writing and singing  his music.