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Not so much a lovely day, after Soul Music Hall of Fame, Bill Withers died Monday in Los Angeles from heart complications. He was 81.
Bill Withers, the soul legend who penned timeless songs like “Lean on Me,” “Just the Two of Us, and obviously Lovely Day are some of the best songs of all time,” Chance The Rapper posted on Twitter. “My heart really hurts for him, it reminds me of playing records with at my grandma’s house.”
John Legend, who performed alongside Withers at the 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, called him “a special human being.”
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The Legend is being mourned today by celebrities from Hollywood, Washington D.C., Broadway to Atlanta with endearing sentiments from The King Center to the NAACP:
The legendary soul man’s family said in a statement. “A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other.
The beauty of his message in his music like hits Lean on Me” has emerged once again in recent weeks as an anthem of hope and solidarity in the time of COVID-19.
Rest in Peace and Power!
The three-time Grammy winner released just eight albums before walking away from the spotlight in 1985, but he left an incredible mark on the music community and the world at large. Songs like “Lean On Me,” “Grandma’s Hands,” “Use Me,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and “Lovely Day” are embedded in the culture and have been covered countless times. While many of Withers’ biggest songs were recorded in the Seventies, they have proven to be timeless hits. “Lean on Me” emerged once again in recent weeks as an anthem of hope and solidarity in the time of COVID-19.
