Bill Withers
1938 – 2020

Bill Withers

American musician (1938–2020)

singer-songwriterguitaristsingercomposer
Born
1938-07-04, Slab Fork
Died
2020-03-30
Birthplace state
West Virginia

Biography

William Harrison Withers Jr. was born in Slab Fork, West Virginia, on July 4, 1938, and was raised in Beckley, West Virginia. Over an 18-year career as a soul and R&B singer and songwriter, he recorded several hits including "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lean on Me," and won three Grammy Awards from nine nominations. He largely withdrew from performing and recording in the mid-1980s, citing burnout and conflicts with record company executives, and died on March 30, 2020.

Occupation

Bill Withers is recorded as a singer-songwriter, a guitarist, a singer and a composer, born in West Virginia (1938–2020).

Connections to West Virginia

Bill Withers was born in Slab Fork, West Virginia in 1938. Explore other notable figures from West Virginia, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

Other notable figures from West Virginia›West Virginiahistory ›Historic sites in West Virginia›
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Everything a full report reveals about Slab Fork

Bill Withers came from Slab Fork. A full Aubrey report on Slab Fork pulls together everything the historical record holds about that place, from the first settlers to the twentieth century:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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More notable figures from West Virginia

Other historical figures born in West Virginia, ranked by historical prominence.

Pearl S. Buck
Pearl S. Buck
American writer (1892–1973)
John Forbes Nash
John Forbes Nash
American mathematician and economist (1928–2015)
Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson
African-American mathematician
Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson
general of the Confederate Army in the American Civil War
Chuck Yeager
Chuck Yeager
American World War II flying ace and test pilot; first pilot to fly faster than sound (1923–2020)
Don Knotts
Don Knotts
American actor and stand-up comedian (1924-2006)
Jerry West
Jerry West
American basketball player and executive (1938-2024)

Frequently asked about Bill Withers

Who was Bill Withers?
Bill Withers was American musician (1938–2020), born in West Virginia (1938 – 2020).
When and where was Bill Withers born?
Bill Withers was born on 1938-07-04 in Slab Fork.
When did Bill Withers die?
Bill died on 2020-03-30.
What was Bill Withers known for?
Bill Withers is recorded as a singer-songwriter, a guitarist, a singer and a composer.
Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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