Bill Withers: "Ain't No Sunshine" interpreter has died

Bill Withers is dead. The musician died on Monday due to heart complications at the age of 81 in Los Angeles, his family said. "We are deeply dismayed at the loss of our beloved husband and father. A unique man with a heart who has connected with the world through poetry and music," said the British Guardian in the statement. In this difficult time, the family hoped Withers' music would provide comfort and entertainment "while his fans had their loved ones around them".

With songs like "Ain't No Sunshine" (1971), "Lean On Me" (1972) or "Lovely Day" (1977), the US singer created world hits. Withers won three Grammys and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. Bill Withers was born in 1938 in the mining town of Slabfork, West Virginia. At the age of 17 he joined the US Army, where he served for nine years and already wrote the first songs. In 1967 he moved to Los Angeles and pursued his career as a musician. In 1971 his debut album "Just As I Am" was released, with his first single release "Ain't No Sunshine" he made his breakthrough immediately. His last album "Watching You Watching Me" was released in 1985, after which he withdrew from the public. He is survived by his wife Marcia Johnson and their two children Todd and Kori.