Bill Withers
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Withers sang for a black nouveau middle class that didn't yet understand how precarious its status was. Warm, raunchy, secular, common, he never strove for Ashford & Simpson-style sophistication, which hardly rendered him immune to the temptations of sudden wealth—cross-class attraction is what gives 'Use Me' its kick. He didn't accept that there had to be winners and losers, that fellowship was a luxury the newly successful couldn't afford. Soon sudden wealth took its toll on him while economic clampdown took its toll on his social context."--Robert Christgau |
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William Harrison Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. He recorded several major hits, including "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Grandma's Hands" (1971), "Use Me" (1972), "Lean on Me" (1972), "Lovely Day" (1977), and "Just the Two of Us" (1980).
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | Record label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | CAN | UK | ||||
| 1971 | Just as I Am | 35 | 9 | 37 | — | — | Sussex |
| 1972 | Still Bill | 4 | 1 | 71 | — |
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| 1974 | +'Justments | 67 | 7 | — | — | — | |
| 1975 | Making Music | 81 | 7 | — | — | — | Columbia |
| 1976 | Naked & Warm | 169 | 41 | — | — | — | |
| 1977 | Menagerie | 39 | 16 | 55 | 27 |
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| 1979 | 'Bout Love | 134 | 50 | — | — | — | |
| 1985 | Watching You Watching Me | 143 | 42 | — | 60 | — | |
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart or was not certified | |||||||
