Questlove on why Bill Withers was his first true idol — and why it was rewarding even when the soul legend declined to work with him
When people talk about the singer-songwriter era, they usually mean white acts, but that’s exactly what Withers was doing: singing and songwriting. So, by all means, go for the big hits — early songs like “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean On Me,” and “Use Me,” and the massive late-period hit “Just the Two of Us,” a 1980 duet with Grover Washington Jr.But don’t sleep on the rest of the songs: “Grandma’s Hands,” “Who Is He ?,” “I Wish You Well,” “The Same Love That Made Me Laugh.
The book on Bill is that his first four albums are the canon, and that the jump to Columbia did him no favors. It’s true that the Sussex albums are where Withers made his reputation and why he’s kept it. 1974’sis especially amazing, a breakup record from the end of his brief marriage to the actress Denise Nicholas that precedes Marvin Gaye’sAt Columbia, many believed, the down-to-earth presentation of his trademark sound was compromised.
When J Dilla died in 2006, I wasn’t interested in producing anymore, except for the Roots, but to keep my chops, I started bucket-listing projects that I would still want to take on. Bill Withers was my first choice. Word came back that Withers was reluctant. I figured he might be. I decided to start with Al Green, who had won Grammys in gospel and pop, but never in soul.
That brought Bill to us, finally. The basketball legend Bill Russell, who was one of Withers’ close friends, was in a Starbucks and heard our song. “Who is this?” he said. They told him. Then Bill Russell called Bill Withers and said, “You have to hear this version. It’s ferocious.” Bill’s daughter got him a copy, and he wrote one of the most beautiful emails I have ever read, saying how appreciative he was that we had revisited the song.
When the moment was right, I eased my pitch to him. I told him how long he had been important to me, and how I could be his new James Gadson . I wrapped up. Withers looked at me. I thought I saw a “yes” in his eyes. He was silent for a good 17 seconds, almost as long as that note in “Lovely Day.”In a strange way, getting turned down by Bill Withers was almost as rewarding as any other experience. He was true to himself to the end, a hero, and an inspiration.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
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