When two music legends, Bill Withers and Stevie Wonder, joined forces, something magical happened. They even brought along John Legend to make it extra special. This all went down when Bill Withers was honored at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015. John Legend kicked things off by playing the electric piano and singing the first part of “Lean On Me.” Then Stevie Wonder took over for the next part, and soon they were singing together in a way that sounded like pure happiness.
You could feel how much everyone loved Bill Withers and his music. The best part was when Bill, who was 75 and hadn’t sung in a long time, stood up and joined Stevie and John to sing the catchy part of the song. The crowd cheered so loud! It was a joyful moment that felt like a big celebration of Bill’s amazing career. People who love music say Bill Withers is one of the greatest ever, and seeing him sing again was a beautiful surprise.
Stevie Wonder was the one who welcomed Bill into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame that year. Bill hadn’t performed much since he stopped making music years ago, but he came back just for this night. The video of them singing “Lean On Me” got 13 million views on YouTube! Fans online loved it, with one saying Stevie’s singing made them cry because today’s music just isn’t the same. Another fan said it was an incredible show by three of the best singers ever.
Back in the 1970s, Bill Withers had an awesome band that rocked every stage. One time, in 1972, he performed on a TV show called Old Grey Whistle Test and sang “Use Me.” The way he and his band played was so cool and fun, and his voice was out of this world.
Bill wrote and made “Lean On Me” all by himself, and it came out on April 21, 1972. He got the idea for the song from his hometown, Slab Fork, West Virginia, where people in the coal mining town always helped each other. It was the first big song from his second album, Still Bill, and it became so popular that it reached number one on the music charts. In 2010, a famous magazine called Rolling Stone said “Lean On Me” was one of the 500 best songs ever, ranking it at number 208.
Bill Withers’ music still makes people smile, cry, and feel connected, and that night in 2015 showed just how special he is!
