Uploaded April 2015 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Bill Withers became interested in singing and songwriting during his nine year enlistment in the U.S. Navy. Afterwards, Withers worked as an assembler for several companies including Douglas Aircraft Corporation when he began recording demo tapes with his own money and shopped them around. He also performed at club venues at night when he was introduced to elite session musician and producer Booker T. Jones. Withers states his inspiration for "Ain't No Sunshine" came to him while watching the 1962 movie Days of Wine and Roses. Released as a single, the all acoustic song became a breakthrough hit for Withers reaching #6 on the U.S. R&B Chart and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became the #23 song for 1971. Withers had intended to include more lyrics instead of repeating the phrase "I know" 26 times, but then followed the advice of the other musicians involved in the recording to leave it that way. "Ain't No Sunshine" is ranked #285 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and won the Grammy for Best R&B Song in 1972. Stevie Wonder inducted Bill Withers into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.
Bill Withers became interested in singing and songwriting during his nine year enlistment in the U.S. Navy. Afterwards, Withers worked as an assembler for several companies including Douglas Aircraft Corporation when he began recording demo tapes with his own money and shopped them around. He also performed at club venues at night when he was introduced to elite session musician and producer Booker T. Jones. Withers states his inspiration for "Ain't No Sunshine" came to him while watching the 1962 movie Days of Wine and Roses. Released as a single, the all acoustic song became a breakthrough hit for Withers reaching #6 on the U.S. R&B Chart and #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became the #23 song for 1971. Withers had intended to include more lyrics instead of repeating the phrase "I know" 26 times, but then followed the advice of the other musicians involved in the recording to leave it that way. "Ain't No Sunshine" is ranked #285 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and won the Grammy for Best R&B Song in 1972. Stevie Wonder inducted Bill Withers into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.
