Bill Withers
For a man who made it sound so easy, Bill Withers worked hard. After leaving the Navy as a young man, he worked in factories and driving a milk truck before a chance encounter with Lou Rawls inspired him to buy a guitar. The songs he was soon producing were instantly iconic, playing alongside Carole King, Paul Simon and Stevie Wonder on every car radio and dorm room turntable throughout the 70s. By the 80s, he was discouraged by the pervasive racism of the industry and, never a seeker of the spotlight, he walked away–leaving behind a legacy of songs that will forever speak for themselves.