Bill Withers: Singer, Songwriter, and Sailor

By Zach Smyers
HRNM Educator

Before he became a Grammy winning songwriter, singer, and producer, Bill Withers served his country in the U.S. Navy.

William Harrison Withers Jr., the youngest of six children, was born on July 4, 1938, in Slab Fork, West Virginia. His father was a coal miner and died when Withers was 13 years old.

In 1956, at age 17, Withers enlisted in the Navy. After boot camp, Withers went to Pensacola, Florida, for training as an aviation mechanic. During his time in the Navy, Withers overcame an issue with stuttering, and during liberty with his fellow Sailors he became increasingly interested in writing and performing songs. From 1962 to 1965, Withers served at NAS Agana in Guam. During this time, he had to decide whether to reenlist or to leave the Navy. Withers chose to be discharged.

With his honorable discharge in hand, Withers relocated to Los Angeles, California. He got a job working at a factory manufacturing aircraft parts, and he bought a guitar at a pawnshop and started to write songs. He worked during the day at the factory and performed at night.

Withers recorded his first album, Just as I Am, for Sussex Records in 1971. The album included the hit single “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Produced by Booker T. Jones, Just as I Am was a huge success, and Withers went on to win a Grammy for “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Withers was officially a star, and his sophomore album, Still Bill, released a year later, received rave reviews from music critics and fans. The songs “Lean on Me” and “Use Me” were hit singles from the album, with “Lean on Me” reaching number one on the Billboard pop chart. The album sold 500,000 copies and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

In 1973, Withers wrote one of his most powerful songs, “I Can’t Write Left-Handed,” which dealt with the Vietnam War. The song, written from the perspective of a wounded veteran, was Withers’ take on Vietnam veterans’ experiences at war and then as they returned to life in the United States. The song opens with Withers reflecting on the war and meeting the veteran who inspired the song. Withers says, “And I can remember not too long ago seeing a young guy with his right arm gone. Just got back. And I asked him how he was doing. He said he was doing all right now but he had thought he was gonna die. He said getting shot at didn’t bother him, it was getting shot that shook him up. And I tried to put myself in his position.”

Bill Withers at his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction (Wikipedia)

Withers stepped away from the music business in 1985. Despite his departure, the awards and accolades continued to come his way. He was inducted into the Soul Train Hall of Fame in 1995, and the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 for “Ain’t No Sunshine,” and again in 2007 for “Lean on Me.” In 2005, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and in 2015 the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Bill Withers passed away on March 30, 2020. In April 2020, he was selected to receive the Lone Sailor Award posthumously by the United States Navy Memorial. Speaking about Withers’ career, Rear Admiral Frank Thorp, President and CEO of the Navy Memorial, said, “Bill Withers has literally touched every American’s life over the last fifty years, and through his music and his example, has made our world a better place.”

Bill Withers accepts his honorary doctorate from West Virginia University (Billwithers.com)