William Harrison "Bill" Withers, Jr. (born July 4, 1938) is an American singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriter

Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...

 and musician

Musician

A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....

 who performed and recorded from 1970 until 1985. Some of his best-known songs are "Lean on Me

Lean on Me (song)

"Lean on Me" is a song written and released by Bill Withers in 1972.It was his first and only number one on both the soul singles and the Billboard Hot 100. It is ranked number 205 on the Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Numerous cover versions have been recorded, and it is one of...

", "Ain't No Sunshine

Ain't No Sunshine

"Ain't No Sunshine" is a song by Bill Withers from his 1971 album Just as I Am, produced by Booker T. Jones. The record featured musicians Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass guitar and Al Jackson, Jr. on drums, as well as Withers on lead vocals and guitar. The song was released as a single in September...

", "Use Me

Use Me (song)

"Use Me" is a song composed and originally recorded by Bill Withers, and was included on his 1972 album Still Bill. It is his second-biggest hit in the United States, released in September 1972, and later reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart...

", "Just the Two of Us", "Lovely Day

Lovely Day (song)

"Lovely Day" is a song by American soul and R&B singer Bill Withers. Published in 1977 , the song was written by Withers and Skip Scarborough and appears on Withers' 1978 album Menagerie....

", and "Grandma's Hands

Grandma's Hands

"Grandma's Hands" is a song written by Bill Withers about his own grandmother. It was included on his 1971 debut album Just as I Am, and was also released as a single, reaching number 18 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart and 42 on the Billboard Hot 100.The song has since been covered by many...

". His life was recently the subject of the documentary film Still Bill

Still Bill (film)

Still Bill is a 2009 documentary film about musician Bill Withers. It received its world premiere at the 2009 South by Southwest Film Festival...

.
Withers was born the youngest of thirteen children in the small coal-mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia

Slab Fork, West Virginia

Slab Fork is an unincorporated community in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States with a population of 202. Slab Fork is located along a stream of the same name and West Virginia Route 54...

. Raised in nearby Beckley, West Virginia

Beckley, West Virginia

Beckley is a city in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States, which was founded on April 4, 1838. The 2008 population was estimated to be 16,832 by the U.S. Census Bureau. Early in its history, the town was known as Beckleyville and Raleigh Court House...

, Withers was thirteen years old when his father died.