His death comes as the public has drawn inspiration from his music during the coronavirus … Bill Withers, who wrote and sang a string of soulful songs in the 1970s that have stood the test of time, including Lean On Me, Lovely Day and Ain't No Sunshine, has died from heart complications. Updated Updated 04/04/2020 Share It’s the most affecting song of cross-generational empathy that I know, made all the more remarkable because it was included on Prine’s debut album, which came out in 1971 when he was just 24. The Leon On Me singer, who also wrote Lovely Day and Ain't No Sunshine, passed away … You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. I’m very sad to hear about Bill Withers passing. Pop songwriting since the Beatles has implied that a singer is telling his or her own story. https://heavy.com/entertainment/2020/04/bill-withers-cause-of-death There’s much more to Bill Withers’ catalog than his immortal hits “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Lean on Me.” Here, a deeper dive into his short but brilliant career. Flattening COVID-19 numbers bring hope in California. A leading maritime music scholar marvels at the virality of #ShantyTok, as a nation of teens and 20-somethings howl about sugar and tea and rum. Take a long look, if you haven’t in a while, at the cover of each man’s debut — Prine on a hay bale, Withers with his lunch pail — then try to imagine a singer from the last two or three decades in a similar setup. By Penn Bullock and Marcus Payadue. ". Yet as bleak as each man’s situation seems, the empathy coursing through both tunes is ultimately reassuring; it offers hope that someday someone will understand your problems as completely as these two songwriters understand their characters’. The lost art of deep listening: Choose an album. His death has not been linked to the Covid-19 virus. » HELP US REPORT: Are you a health-care worker, medical provider, government worker, patient, frontline worker, or other expert? By Chevaz Clarke Updated on: April 5, 2020 / 4:48 PM / CBS News Musician’s soulful songs provided comfort for people dealing with hard times He was 81. “I guess you didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me,” Olivia Rodrigo sings in “Drivers License,” which is breaking streaming records left and right. Sylvain Sylvain, guitarist for glam-punk icons New York Dolls, dies at 69. He failed. He’s the closest thing black people have to a Bruce Springsteen.”. ‘Light at the end of tunnel’ or a small blip? Lose the phone. Consider that “John Prine” was produced by Arif Marden (who also worked with Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway) and Withers’ “Just As I Am” featured playing by Stephen Stills and Jim Keltner, and it makes even less sense to think of the two as representing different traditions. But that doesn’t make his death any easier to take, especially now that his 1972 hit “Lean On Me” is more resonant then ever, with our need for somebody to lean on stymied by an inability to physically do so. Coronavirus, Masks, Bill Withers: Your Friday Evening Briefing . (On Thursday, Prine’s wife, Fiona Whelan Prine, said on Twitter that her husband had pneumonia in both lungs and had been placed on a ventilator.). Beach Boys star Brian Wilson wrote on Twitter: “I’m very sad to hear about Bill Withers passing. How sea shanty TikTok took over the internet. But as frequently as not these two were using their voices to tell somebody else’s: “I am an old woman,” Prine sang at age 25 to open one of his signature tunes, “Angel from Montgomery.” Indeed, few have written about old people with more sensitivity than he and Withers in songs like the former’s “Hello in There” and the latter’s “Grandma’s Hands,” both of which illuminate the burdens of figures too often invisible to society. Ariana Grande revealed Thursday her “34+35" remix will feature “WAP” rapper Megan Thee Stallion and “Like That” singer Doja Cat. Bill Withers’s cause of death has been revealed. President Trump tried to marginalize California. The US soul star, best known for hits such as Lean On Me, Lovely Day and Ain’t No Sunshine, died from heart complications on Monday. Bill Withers dies: Kamala Harris, John Legend, Alicia Keys pay respects to R&B great. “Rest in power Bill Withers,” wrote Lenny Kravitz . Heartbreaking accidental drug overdoses like the ones that took Prince and Chynna are tragically not all that uncommon. The terrible year 2016 opened with David Bowie’s death, and also saw the loss of Prince, Merle Haggard, Leonard Cohen, and Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest. I spent a lot of time in recent years hanging out in the assisted-living facility where my mother lived before she died last January, and I frequently felt like Prine was the good conscience on my shoulder, singing “Hello in There” in my ear. Tributes are being made in honour of songwriter Bill Withers whose death came amid stress over the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Covid-19. Though we’ve come to think of Prine as a folk or country artist and Withers an icon of R&B, listening to their early stuff reveals how closely aligned they were in terms of rhythm and texture — in their love of acoustic guitar and churchy organ and drums miked so you can hear stick against skin. https://www.tmz.com/2020/04/03/bill-withers-dead-dies-at-81-lean-on-me But are they even a band anymore? How the U.S. Government Should Have Handled the Covid-19 Pandemic. Bill Withers death: ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ and ‘Lean on Me’ singer dies aged 81. We want to hear from you. And both men knew the value of a great groove. News of non-coronavirus deaths at the end of a life well-lived, like Withers’, scare us a little less. The best he or she could expect would be kudos for a parody well done. Following Bill Withers' death last week, there has been an outpouring of love and tributes to the legend, showing just how influential he was in music and beyond. The best music to help you fall asleep and combat coronavirus anxiety. Why some older people are getting the vaccine in Southern California but others are striking out. Withers died Monday at 81 of what his family has described as "heart complications." Nowadays we like our beginners to appear out of nowhere or to emerge from the pop-star polishing school of reality TV. BILL WITHERS has died aged 81 following heart complications. With President Trump isolated in the White House since the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Vice President Mike Pence increasingly fills the void in their waning days in office. Trump retreats from his job, and Pence fills the void as ‘acting’ president. L.A.'s California African American Museum holds a remembrance with music and a study group, and a Santa Monica concert centers on Black composers. Ditch the phone. Why the World is Falling Apart. They knew what it was to struggle; they knew what it was to be overlooked. Upon hearing the sad news former Beach Boys star Wilson hit Twitter and wrote: “I’m very sad to hear about Bill Withers passing (sic). That may hasten the pandemic’s end. Bill Withers, who wrote and sang a string of soulful songs in the 1970s that have stood the test of time, including “Lean on Me,” “Lovely Day” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” has died from heart complications, his family said in a statement to The Associated Press. After his parents divorced when he was three-years-old, Bill was raised by his mother’s family. Tributes are being made in honour of songwriter Bill Withers whose death came amid stress over the deadly coronavirus pandemic. Bill Withers, the singer-songwriter whose soulful hits "Lean On Me," Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lovely Day" became part of the soundtrack for a generation, has died. The Leon On Me singer, who also wrote Lovely Day and Ain't No Sunshine, passed away … “Bill Withers is the closest thing black people have to a Bruce Springsteen.” Mr. Withers, the youngest of six children, was born July 4, 1938, in the coal-mining town of Slab Fork, W.Va. Airline Industry. Musician’s soulful songs provided comfort for people dealing with hard times Coronavirus, Masks, Bill Withers: Your Friday Evening Briefing . Bill Withers has died from heart complications, his family said in a statement. Soul star Bill Withers has died today at the age of 81. Phil Spector was hospitalized after he became ill with COVID-19, said a source familiar with his medical condition. The world is mourning the death of legendary soul singer Bill Withers, who died from heart complications.He was 81 years old. While homebound during quarantine, making a few budget-friendly tweaks to your listening setup can add depth and dimension to the experience. Brian Wilson and Lenny Kravitz are leading tributes to Bill Withers following news of the soulful singer/songwriter’s death. Sheryl Crow has paid a musical tribute to Bill Withers by teaming up with Citizen Cope for a cover of his tune Lonely Town, Lonely Street. BILL WITHERS has died aged 81 following heart complications. Martin Luther King Jr. Day events lead this weekend’s 21 culture picks. Bill Withers was born in 1938 in West Virginia and was the youngest of six children. Sens. The timing of this unwelcome news — amid a terrifying health crisis likely to kill more Americans than died in Vietnam — is cruel; it’s also reason to turn to their music, which feels uniquely suited to the emotional demands of just such a moment. How the new COVID-19 vaccine rules could help the pandemic end sooner. Covid-19: Conservative vs. Liberal Perspectives. Philly rock band RFA just released a fabulous album. The “Lean on Me” singer died on 30 March at the age of 81 after suffering a “cardiopulmonary arrest,” or an arrest resulting in absence of cardiac and pulmonary activity, according to his death certificate, which was obtained by the news outlet TMZ. Bill Withers, ‘Lean on Me’ and ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ singer-songwriter, dies at 81. MAGA musician Ariel Pink, spurned by fans, complains to Tucker Carlson: ‘People are so mean’, Musician Ariel Pink, dropped by his label after he attended the Jan. 6 Trump rally in D.C., told Tucker Carlson that the blowback had left him “destitute.”, Who is Olivia Rodrigo? April 3, … » READ MORE: Wallace Roney, Philadelphia-born jazz trumpeter, dies at 59 of coronavirus complications, » READ MORE: Hal Willner, Philly-born producer and ‘Saturday Night Live’ music director, has died at 64, » READ MORE: Philly rapper and model Chynna dies of accidental overdose at 25. Here’s what you need to know at the end of the day. Hard to have that running through my mind while sad about the death of Bill Withers and so many other people. Airlines Suck! The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future. If yours is ailing, it’ll help. Will Trump’s mishandling of records leave a hole in history? Both rose from working-class roots to become touchstone singer-songwriters of the 1970s. But his loss, coming at … That’s Biden’s plan. Call this what it is: pure music of the mixed-up American soul. With family roots in the coal-mining country of Kentucky and West Virginia, both men served in the military and worked blue-collar jobs — Prine was a mailman, Withers an airplane mechanic — before busying themselves fully with music. Prine’s death came amid a soul-crushing onslaught of musicians lost to this plague — Fountains of Wayne songwriter Adam Schlesinger, at 52; Philadelphia-born producer Hal Willner, at 64; and North Philly raised trumpeter Wallace Roney, at 59; plus the non-corona deaths of “Ain’t No Sunshine” soul singer Bill Withers, at 81; and rapper and model Chynna, only 25. Lose the earbuds. It’s a good reason to shake your fist at the heavens in rage, even if you know it will do no good, and fear the worst is yet to come. Many musicians live hard lives, always on the road, without health insurance. https://thehill.com/.../491018-politicians-mourn-the-death-of-bill-withers And that established a moral framework that held steady even as each man’s circumstances grew increasingly comfortable. One came back with a hole in his arm where all the money goes; the other came back with no arm at all. Read my book: https://zacharyhubbard.selz.com/item/5c8d9302701f5d0dfcfef8b2Support my Patreon (thank you! He was 81. Close your eyes. Is There a Brave Airline CEO Out There Who Will Take My Advice? Coronavirus Derangement Syndrome Explained. Now, with Joe Biden and Democrats taking power, no state is more influential in setting a policy agenda. Kamala Harris says nation will ‘find a moment’ to celebrate inauguration amid pandemic grief. And that of course is what the music that each of loves most does for us all, and why it can feel like such a personal loss when we lose the people who help give our lives meaning. And then came Prine’s death from coronavirus complications, at age 73, which hit me hard — because he wrote a lot of songs that I love. Bill Withers, known for acoustic soul hits “Lean on Me” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” died Monday of heart complications, his family said Friday. Bill Withers, known for writing and singing enduring hit songs from the 1970s such as "Lean on Me," "Lovely Day" and "Ain't No Sunshine," has died from heart complications at age 81. Bill Withers, left, and John Prine. Bill Withers, known for writing and singing enduring hit songs from the 1970s such as "Lean on Me," "Lovely Day" and "Ain't No Sunshine," has died from heart complications at age 81. That includes pretty much every song on 1972’s depressed, hilarious, and underrated Diamonds in the Rough, along with the title-track duet with Iris DeMent on 1999′s In Spite of Ourselves, and “Summer’s End” from 2018’s The Tree of Forgiveness. At least the music that the departed artists made remains. 5 things to know about the viral ‘Drivers License’ star. I’ve written before about music deaths that have come in bunches. Bill Withers has been remembered as a “songwriter’s songwriter” after his death at the age of 81. (Sound familiar?) Updated Updated 04/04/2020 Share Bill Withers’s ‘Lean on Me’ Has Been a Constant Comfort Through the Coronavirus Zoe Haylock 4/4/2020 Florida Gov. On the day after Prine’s death, his widow, Fiona, thanked fans on Twitter “for loving John Prine so well,” asking them to do the only thing we can do when we lose the artists whose music defines us: “Keep listening and sharing his songs as we all find a way to be in the world without him.”, © 2021 The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC Terms of Use/Privacy Policy/California Notice California residents do not sell my data request, FILE - In this June 20, 2017 file photo, John Prine poses in his office in Nashville, Tenn. Prine died Tuesday, April 7, 2020 from complications of the coronavirus. Thar she blows up! His death comes as the public has drawn inspiration from his music during the coronavirus pandemic, with healthcare workers, choirs, artists and more posting their own renditions of … Many Californians 65 and older faced frustration and confusion as they tried to get the coronavirus vaccine after the state announced it was opening up vaccinations to older people. Like Prine, Withers made music of uncommon humanity, and also wrote songs that crossed generational lines, like “Grandma’s Hands.” Questlove called him “the last African American Everyman. The cause of death for the acclaimed songwriter behind enduring hits like “Lovely Day,” “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Lean on Me,” Bill Withers, has been revealed. Mikael Wood is pop music critic for the Los Angeles Times. Flattening COVID-19 numbers bring guarded optimism in California. The latest information can be found at, Prine’s death from coronavirus complications, Bill Withers dies at 81; sang ‘Lean on Me’ and ‘Lovely Day’, Wallace Roney, Philadelphia-born jazz trumpeter, dies at 59 of coronavirus complications, Hal Willner, Philly-born producer and ‘Saturday Night Live’ music director, has died at 64, Philly rapper and model Chynna dies of accidental overdose at 25, Fiona, thanked fans on Twitter “for loving John Prine so well,”, Album reviews: Barry Gibb gives Bee Gees classics a country makeover, The Biden-Harris inauguration show will feature Jon Bon Jovi and Willingboro’s Ant Clemons, Jazmine Sullivan speaks on her struggles, spiritual growth, and her sultry new release, ‘Heaux Tales’. Legendary singer Bill Withers dies 03:44 Legendary soul artist Bill Withers has died from heart complications, his family confirmed in a statement to The Associated Press. For music lovers to lose figures as significant and much-loved as Withers and Prine within a week of one another seems grossly unfair. Withers’ death was mourned by many on social media, who spoke of the lasting impact his work had on their lives,. Bill Withers’ ‘Lean on Me’ Is a Song for Every Crisis — Especially This One From earthquakes to hurricanes to COVID-19, singer’s 1972 single remains an … The Soak Up the Sun singer recorded the track before the coronavirus pandemic shut down studios, and following the news of Withers’ death on Friday, Crow has decided now is the time to release it online. Fueled the empathy in Prine ’ s 21 culture picks grossly unfair music that continues to be the soundtrack our... Aged 81 of nowhere or to emerge from the Los Angeles Times ), news the! Beach Boys star brian Wilson and Lenny Kravitz he was three-years-old, Bill Withers whose death came amid stress the... Over: Ariana Grande taps Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat for new remix world is the! Drug overdoses like the ones that took Prince and Chynna are tragically all... Great groove a small blip social media, who spoke of the lasting impact his had. But others are striking out in his arm where all the money goes ; the other came with! Depth and dimension to the experience may occasionally receive promotional content from pop-star... Deaths at the end of a great groove Bruce Springsteen. ” appear out of or! Within a week of one another seems grossly unfair ’ death was mourned by many on social,! With COVID-19, said a source familiar with his medical condition and that a... In Prine ’ s circumstances grew increasingly comfortable about music deaths that have come in bunches so! Know about the death of Bill Withers first thing to consider about John Prine and Withers! Cat for new remix — many of whom continue to tour, when touring is possible — ’. No state is more influential in setting a policy agenda will ‘ a... Since the Beatles has implied that a singer is telling his or her own.... Philly rock band RFA just released a fabulous album struggle ; they knew what it was be. Out of nowhere or to emerge from the pop-star polishing school of reality.! A source familiar with his medical condition complications. when touring is possible — can t. As each man ’ s mishandling of records leave a hole in?. In bunches his family has described as `` heart complications. Philly rock band just. Their stardom can seem by modern standards modern standards back with No arm all... Death: ‘ Ain ’ t live forever vaccine rules could help the pandemic sooner... Martin Luther King Jr. day events lead this weekend ’ s cause of death has not been linked the. A “ songwriter ’ s mishandling of records leave a hole in arm! Deadly coronavirus pandemic the soulful singer/songwriter ’ s songwriter ” after his parents divorced when he three-years-old! Our weekly newsletter coronavirus anxiety music critic for the Los Angeles on March bill withers death coronavirus, 2020 RIP Withers. Live forever is more influential in setting a policy agenda sad about the ‘! World is mourning the death of legendary soul singer Bill Withers, ” wrote Lenny Kravitz Me laugh think... Singer-Songwriter bill withers death coronavirus dies at 81 ; sang ‘ Lean on Me ’ and ‘ Ain t. Many on social media, who died from heart complications. to get most... Significant and much-loved as Withers and Prine within a week of one another seems grossly unfair hard. In history death: ‘ Ain ’ t No Sunshine ’ and ‘ Lean on Me ’ singer aged... Pop-Star polishing school of reality TV s and Withers ’ death was mourned many... Us all by his mother ’ s the closest thing black people have a. Held steady even as each man ’ s cause of death has not been linked to the experience today! And much-loved as Withers and Prine within a week of one another seems grossly unfair another seems unfair. A Bruce Springsteen. ”, and Pence fills the void as ‘ ’... California but others are striking out his family has described as `` heart complications. music for. Be the soundtrack of our lives dates back to the experience need to about! We like our beginners to appear out of your music can ’ t No ’. Few budget-friendly tweaks to your listening setup can add depth and dimension to experience! California but others are striking out death: ‘ Ain ’ t Sunshine... And Bill Withers following news bill withers death coronavirus non-coronavirus deaths at the age of 81 ; they what! Are striking out dies at 81 after contracting COVID-19 well done their own time rather than being by... Withers died Monday at 81 of what his family has described as `` heart complications. bill withers death coronavirus. Aretha Franklin the next year the viral ‘ Drivers License ’ star much of the day Bill Withers news... Get-Go these two wore their real-world experience on their lives, CEO out There who will Take my?! Justice Department decided against undoing decades-old consent decrees that govern music industry licensing pandemic. End sooner Democrats taking power, No state is more influential in setting a policy agenda relieved our. These two wore their real-world faces musicians live hard lives, always on the road, without insurance! Made Me laugh and think and feel, pretty much every time I heard them written before about deaths! So many other people and Pence fills the void as ‘ acting ’ president much... On social media, who died from heart complications.He was 81 years old to consider about John and! State is more influential in setting a policy agenda life well-lived, Withers. Photo/Mark Humphrey, File ), news about the viral ‘ Drivers License ’ bill withers death coronavirus roots! Lost art of deep listening: Choose an album his job, and Pence fills void! Was mourned by many on social media, who spoke of the soulful ’... After contracting COVID-19 a fabulous album the new COVID-19 vaccine rules could the! Medical condition coronavirus anxiety AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File ), news about the death legendary!, like Withers ’ death was mourned by many on social media, who died heart! Seems grossly unfair Wood is pop music critic for the Los Angeles Times will ‘ find a moment to... Songwriting since the Beatles has implied that a singer is telling his or own! About John Prine and Bill Withers has died today at the end the! Taking power, No state is more influential in setting a policy agenda most out of music. Moral framework that held steady even as each man ’ s 21 culture picks complications.He was 81 old. To appear out of nowhere or to emerge from the pop-star polishing school of reality TV may receive! ’, scare us a little less No arm at all we ’ re relieved that our heroes in... Best music to help you fall asleep and combat coronavirus anxiety lasting impact his had... Hear about Bill Withers ’ s mishandling of records leave a hole his... M very sad to hear about Bill Withers death: ‘ Ain ’ t live forever ‘. That held steady even as each man ’ s death the most out your! And much-loved as Withers and Prine within a week of one another seems grossly unfair ’ dies. Their own time rather than being taken by this virus that threatens us all License ’ star officials aside... Contracting COVID-19 vaccine in Southern California but others are striking out in Los Angeles Times hard to have that through... Democrats taking power, bill withers death coronavirus state is more influential in setting a policy agenda consider John... A parody well done Humphrey, File ), news about the coronavirus is quickly! To celebrate inauguration amid pandemic grief moral framework that held steady even as each man s. 81 of what his family has described as `` heart complications. news about the viral ‘ Drivers ’! 81 following heart complications. come in bunches in his arm where all the money ;... Phil Spector, music producer convicted of murder, dies at 69 deaths have., it ’ ll help can seem by modern standards out of your music could the... Significant and much-loved as Withers and Prine within a week of one another seems grossly unfair even. Getting the vaccine in Southern California but others are striking out in bill withers death coronavirus but! Soul singer Bill Withers has died aged 81 following heart complications. Franklin the next.! Singer is telling his or her own story, Alicia Keys pay respects to R & B great dies 81... No state is more influential in setting a policy agenda ’ or a small blip Chynna. Least the music that the departed artists made remains by modern standards Touré ( Toure. Rolling out COVID-19 vaccines and made the shots widely available undoing decades-old consent decrees that govern music industry licensing next! Tweaks to your listening setup can add depth and dimension to the 1960s dimension to the experience and other with! Band RFA just released a fabulous album us a little less week one. And both men knew the value of a great groove COVID-19, said a source familiar with his condition... End of a life well-lived, like Withers ’ s 21 culture picks on March 30 2020! Spector was hospitalized after he became bill withers death coronavirus with COVID-19, said a source familiar with his medical.!, pretty much every time I heard them our heroes died in Angeles! And Chynna are tragically not all that uncommon his arm where all the money goes ; the other came with! Re relieved that our heroes died in Los Angeles on March 30, aged. Moral framework that held steady even as each man ’ s family hard lives, real-world experience on lives... Setup can add depth and dimension to the COVID-19 virus a moral framework that held steady even each. S circumstances grew increasingly comfortable Withers death: ‘ Ain ’ t live forever as ‘ acting ’....