WVVA Hometown Hero: Late Grammy award winner and rock & roll hall of famer honored
BECKLEY, W.Va. (WVVA) - Bill Withers is one of the biggest stars ever to emerge from West Virginia. Withers music dominated the R&B and pop charts in the 1970′s & early 80′s.
Over his active music career, Withers was nominated for nine Grammys, winning three. He was inducted into the Singer/Songwriter Hall of Fame in 2005, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame added him to their roster of stars in 2015.
Withers hit songs include “Ain’t No Sunshine”, “Use Me”, “Lean On Me”, Grandma’s Hand’s, Lovely Day”, and “Just the Two of Us”.
The singer/songwriter was born William Harrison Withers, Jr. July 4, 1938, in the Raleigh County coal camp community of Slab Fork. Withers was the son of a coal miner and a maid one of six children. He moved to Beckley as a child and was a graduate of Stratton High School, entering as a freshman in 1953, that’s when Slab Fork native and current Beckley resident, Delores Robinson first met the future star.
“We went to high school together from the ninth until the 12th grade, and he was a friend to a group of young men who was in the class of ‘56. And I was in a group of young ladies in the class of ‘56. It was sort of like a brotherhood/sisterhood thing,” said Robinson. “They seemed to always want to be our protectors. Bill was always there in the group, but he didn’t have much to say. But you know, he was always present with the other fellas.”
After high school, Withers spent nine years in the Navy, relocating to California to chase his musical dreams after his discharge. He was working a job installing toilets in 737 jets when he got an unlikely break. In fact, his first album cover shows Withers at the gate to that blue collar job, his actual lunch box in hand because he didn’t have faith that his career in music would pan out.
Withers literally didn’t quit his day job, even after getting a big break from a small record label. Dr. James Owston spent decades working in top forty radio and was recognized for having some of the best ears for hit records in the business.
“Generally, it was hard to get plays from those kinds of labels, but they released a single. That single was Harlem. With a B-side, that they hoped, if they didn’t play the A-side, they would flip the B-side. Did nothing,” said Owston. “They released it again with “Ain’t No Sunshine” on the B-side, and radio flipped it and played the B-side instead, and that was the beginning of his career. Small record label, someone that had no name, but that song resonated with the public. It starts out with the hook, “Ain’t no sunshine since you’re gone.”
Singer and performer, Doris Fields, known by “Lady D” on stage, nominated Withers for WVVA Hometown Hero. She recently agreed to help with the three-year effort to erect a statue honoring Bill Withers in Beckley.
“Nothing really like this has been done for him, of course, he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and that was great, but his state has done nothing for him,” Fields said, adding her nomination is because he’s a musical legend with roots that run deep in the Mountain State.
“He’s from West Virginia. He’s from Southern West Virginia, he’s from Raleigh County, and that in itself stands out as being a huge accomplishment for everything that he’s done.” said Fields. “To be from West Virginia and to be known around the world.”
See more on Bill Withers and check out the project to finish the statue and park by clicking the HERE.
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