Withers, the youngest of six children, was born in the small coal-mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia, on July 4, 1938. He was the son of Mattie (Galloway), a maid, and William Withers, a miner. He was born with a stutter and later said he had a hard time fitting in. His parents divorced when he was three, and he was raised by his mother's family in nearby Beckley, West Virginia. He was 13 years old when his father died. Withers enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of 17, and served for nine years, during which time he became interested in singing and writing songs.
He left the Navy in 1965, relocating to Los Angeles in 1967 to start a music career. His debut release was "Three Nights and a Morning" in 1967. Arranged by Mort Garson, the song went unnoticed at the time but was later reworked by Withers as the track "Harlem".
Withers worked as an assembler for several different companies, including Douglas Aircraft Corporation, IBM and Ford, while recording demo tapes with his own money, shopping them around and performing in clubs at night. When he returned with the song "Ain't No Sunshine" in 1971, he refused to resign from his job because he believed the music business was a fickle industry. In early 1970, Withers's demonstration tape was auditioned favorably by Clarence Avant, owner of Sussex Records. Avant signed Withers to a record deal and assigned former Stax Records stalwart Booker T. Jones to produce Withers' first album. Four three-hour recording sessions were planned for the album, but funding caused the album to be recorded in three sessions with a six-month break between the second and final sessions. Just as I Am was released in 1971 with the tracks, "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Grandma's Hands" as singles. The album features Stephen Stills playing lead guitar. On the cover of the album, Withers is pictured at his job at Weber Aircraft in Burbank, California, holding his lunch box.
Withers was known for his "smooth" baritone vocals and "sumptuous" soul arrangements. He wrote some of the most covered songs of the 1970s, including "Lean on Me" and "Ain't No Sunshine". The former entered the Hot 100 chart through multiple versions, including Club Nouveau's 1987 cover, which made the composition one of nine songs to have led the chart via different acts. With "Lovely Day", he set the record for the longest sustained note on a chart hit on American charts, holding a high E for 18 seconds. Editors from The Guardian considered that Withers' songs are "some of the most beloved in the American songbook," citing, "'Ain't No Sunshine' is regarded as one of the all-time great breakup tracks, while 'Lean on Me', an ode to the supportive power of friendship ..." For the same newspaper, Alex Petridis noticed "[he] laid pain and paranoia under his deceptively gentle songs, and retired early having conquered gospel, funk, blues, disco and more." In Rolling Stone, writer Andy Greene noted that several of his songs "are embedded in the culture and have been covered countless times."
Writing for The New York Times, Giovanni Russonello considered Withers "[a] soulful singer with a gift for writing understated classics", adding, "the ultimate homespun hitmaker, he had an innate sense of what might make a song memorable, and little interest in excess attitude or accoutrements. Ultimately Withers reminded us that it’s the everyday that is the most meaningful: work, family, love, loss." A Billboard article considered that Withers "stands as one of R&B/soul music's most revered singer-songwriters." In the same magazine, writer Gail Mitchell acknowledged "Withers' legacy has flourished in the decades since, thanks to a cross-section of artists who have covered/sampled his songs or cited him as a major influence." Musician and music journalist Questlove referred to Withers' post-breakup 1974 album +'Justments as "a diary [...] [it] was a pre-reality-show look at his life. Keep in mind this was years before Marvin Gaye did it with Here, My Dear." The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson deemed him "a songwriter's songwriter". Musicians Sade, D'Angelo, Justin Timberlake, John Legend and Ed Sheeran have credited Withers as a music inspiration.
Withers died from heart complications in Los Angeles on March 30, 2020, at age 81; his family announced his death four days later. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills).
Rosie
Bill Withers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm sad when Rosie goes away
Cuz, Rosie brings the sunshine
I...smile...cuz Rosie let's me be me
Love grows with Rosie every day
Cuz Rosie brings the sunshine
And I'm in love with Rosie
Making people smile that's Roses art
I fell in love with Rosie
Anybody would...Rosie grows like flowers in my heart
I...smile...when Rosie comes to see me
And I'm sad when Rosie goes away
Cuz Rosie brings the sunshine.
The above lyrics are from the song "Rosie" by Bill Withers. The song is an ode to a woman named Rosie who brightens up the singer's life whenever she comes around. The lyrics describe the happiness and joy that Rosie brings to the singer's life, like sunshine on a cloudy day. The song also portrays Rosie as someone who loves the singer for who he is and lets him be himself, which makes him fall in love with her even more. The lyrics suggest that Rosie's presence in the singer's life is like the growth of flowers blossoming in his heart.
Line by Line Meaning
I...smile...when Rosie comes to see me
I feel happy and content when I see Rosie visiting me.
And I'm sad when Rosie goes away
I feel a sense of loss and sadness when Rosie leaves.
Cuz, Rosie brings the sunshine
Rosie brightens up my day and brings joy and warmth into my life.
I...smile...cuz Rosie let's me be me
I am happy when I am with Rosie because she lets me be myself without any judgment or criticism.
Love grows with Rosie every day
My love for Rosie continues to grow and strengthen with each passing day.
Cuz Rosie brings the sunshine
Rosie's presence brings positivity and happiness into my life.
And I'm in love with Rosie
I am deeply in love with Rosie and cherish her greatly.
Cuz Rosie treats me good
Rosie treats me with kindness and respect, which makes me adore her even more.
Making people smile that's Roses art
Rosie has a special talent for making those around her smile and feel happy.
I fell in love with Rosie
I fell head over heels in love with Rosie from the moment I met her.
Anybody would...Rosie grows like flowers in my heart
It's easy for anyone to see why I love Rosie so much, as she brings such joy and love into my life that continues to blossom and grow.
Contributed by Hudson G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
therealtkay💕
I... smile... when Rosie comes to see me
And I'm sad when Rosie goes away
Cuz, Rosie brings the sunshine
I... smile... cuz Rosie let's me be me
Love grows with Rosie every day
Cuz Rosie brings the sunshine
And I'm in love with Rosie
Cuz Rosie treats me good
Making people smile that's Roses art
I fell in love with Rosie
Anybody would... Rosie grows like flowers in my heart
I... smile... when Rosie comes to see me
And I'm sad when Rosie goes away
Cuz Rosie brings the sunshine.
SalsBarberLife
Bill Withers has such a haunting voice. So much power. Classic music. They sure don't make it like this anymore. Kanye is also such a musical genius by taking these classic songs and breathing new life into them. Say what you want about "his character" or the "type of person" he is, but there aren't many people that can do what he does.
Top Bun
salcantar06 he worked hard to get to where he is I think he deserves to be cocky. Also I don't think he's a bad person is just that the paparazzi annoy tf out of him
Mark Midmark
@Top Bun I like you both, have a great day
slatt
@Mark Midmark I like all three of you, have a good day
hmva
@slatt I like all y'all, have a good day!
zack
very true
Jason Stone
Kanye led me here but Bill is keeping it on repeat... Great song!
Slater Girl
I love this song. It gives me chills every time I listen to it.
Angel Reyes
My God this song send chills throughout my whole body.
Justin DC
I know it's past visiting hours, but can I please give her these flowers?