by Desire Thompson
“Heroes come and go, but legends are forever.”
The recent loss of legends in jazz, soul and classical music have saddened the music industry and reminded us of their touching gifts to music. The passing of Manu Dibango, Krzysztof Penderecki, Ellis Marsalis Jr., Bucky Pizzarelli and Alan Merrill brought endless tributes from peers and fans with the recent loss of soul singer-songwriter Bill Withers doing the same.
With a mirage of hits, the iconic songwriter left his mark on music with the release of his debut album Just As I Am in 1971. “Ain’t No Sunshine” put a spotlight on his songwriting while 1977’s “Lovely Day” reminded the industry of his signature vocals. Withers released eight studio albums, one live album and garnered three Grammys for his powerful songs that gave hope and love to fans to this day.
Hip-hop and R&B have gained the most from Withers as his music went on to inspire records like “No Diggity” by BLACKStreet, “Roses” by Kanye West and other songs from UGK, Dr. Dre, Jill Scott and more.
Take a look at some of Withers’ finest tunes covered, remixed and sampled below.
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