Death, Sex & Money How to Be a Man With Bill Withers
May 5, 2014
Bill Withers, Grammy-winning musician, talks about living intentionally and the beauty of perfect rhymes. Reflects on overcoming challenges like stuttering and making career decisions. Discusses aging, staying active, and contentment as a songwriter.
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Early Life Shaped By Hardship
- Bill Withers remembers growing up poor in West Virginia as formative and frank about hardship.
- He says he was the last of six kids that lived to be adults and recalls his parents' split and moves.
A Small Kindness Changed His Confidence
- Bill Withers struggled with a stutter into adulthood and found help from a small newsstand owner named Virgil.
- Virgil arranged one therapy session that planted the seed of confidence and a different model of masculinity for him.
From Factory Floors To Demos
- After the Navy Bill Withers worked factory jobs while trying to break into music, recording and leaving tapes himself.
- He saved money, recorded his own demos, and distributed tapes until someone called from a small label.