US soul singer Bill Withers dies aged 81

US singer-songwriter Bill Withers, whose hits included Lean On Me, has died aged 81, his family said.

(AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)

US soul singer Bill Withers, who was behind a string of hits in the 1970s including Lean On Me, Lovely Day and Ain’t No Sunshine, has died from heart complications aged 81.

The three-time Grammy Award winner, who withdrew from making music in the mid-1980s, died on Monday in Los Angeles, his family said.

His death comes as the public has drawn inspiration from his music during the coronavirus pandemic, with healthcare workers, choirs, artists and more posting their own renditions of Lean On Me to help get through the difficult times.

Singer-songwriter Bill Withers was a three-time Grammy award winner (Mark Duncan/AP)

“As private a life as he lived close to intimate family and friends, his music forever belongs to the world. In this difficult time, we pray his music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones.”

Withers’ songs during his brief career have become the soundtracks of countless engagements, weddings and parties.

They have powerful melodies and perfect grooves melded with a smooth voice that conveys honesty and complex emotions without vocal acrobatics.

Lean On Me, a paean to friendship, was performed at the inaugurations of both Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.

Ain’t No Sunshine and Lean On Me are among Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

“He’s the last African-American Everyman,” musician and band leader Questlove told Rolling Stone in 2015. “Bill Withers is the closest thing black people have to a Bruce Springsteen.”