His 1971 album "Just As I Am" propelled him to the rank of soul star. American singer Bill Withers has died at the age of 81, Rolling Stone magazine said on Friday April 3, citing a family release.

"We are overwhelmed by the disappearance of this dear loved one, devoted husband and father," writes her family in tribute to the one who, she continues, "sought by his poetry and his music" to connect people with each other.

"In these difficult times, we pray that his music will provide comfort and entertainment for everyone."

Born in 1938 in West Virginia, handicapped in his childhood by his stuttering and orphaned by a father as a teenager, he enlisted at a very young age in the Navy and did not leave the flags until 1965.

Bill Withers then moved to Los Angeles and embarked on a musical career, recording "demos" and playing at night in clubs, while keeping a "food" job.

His first studio album, "Just As I Am", in 1971, contains several nuggets, including "Ain't No Sunshine", and propels his career. Other successes will follow, including "Lean on Me" and "Lovely Day".

But Bill Withers, who entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, quickly moved away from the music industry. Rolling Stone recalls that he has only recorded eight studio albums.

"I'm not a virtuoso but I think I wrote songs that people could identify with," he said in 2014 in an interview with Rolling Stone.

With Reuters

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