Ain’t no Sunshine now that he’s gone. Three time Grammy winning icon, Bill Withers, has passed away. The soulful songwriter left our world due to heart complications. Withers was 81 years old.
Withers’ works from the 1970’s have stood the test of time. With songs like “ Lean on Me,” “Lovely Day” and “Ain’t No Sunshine”
Billy Dee Williams tweeted “your music cheered my heart and soothed my soul” and Chance the Rapper said Withers’ songs are “some of the best songs of all time” and “my heart really hurts for him.” Lenny Kravitz said “My soul always has and always will be full of your music.”
“We lost a giant of songwriting today,” ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams said in a statement. “Bill Withers’ songs are among the most treasured and profound in the American songbook — universal in the way they touch people all over the world, transcending genre and generation. He was a beautiful man with a stunning sense of humor and a gift for truth.”
His death comes as the public has drawn inspiration from his music during the coronavirus pandemic, with health care workers, choirs, artists and more posting their own renditions on “Lean on Me” to help get through the difficult times.
Withers is survived by his wife, Marcia, and children, Todd and Kori.
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