- Local
- Community
- Journalism
Support the independent voice of Denver and help keep the future of Westword free.
Seventies singer-songwriter Bill Withers passed away from heart complications on March 30. He was 81.
While Withers had not made music since the mid-’80s, his was the eternal voice behind songs like "Lean on Me" and "Ain't No Sunshine."
A handful of Denver musicians — Emma Cole and Caleb Thoemke from Wildermiss; producer and engineer Kyle Smith of Kiltro and Wildermiss; Corban Roberts from Overslept; and Malena Roberts from Meliora have now paid tribute to Withers. In a video shot in the living room of the south Denver house they share, they covered two of his songs: “Lean on Me” and “Just the Two of Us."
“We’re all quarantined together and wanted to thank Bill for his beautiful music," says Cole, who sings lead vocals.
Here's the video:
"Having fun collaborating together has definitely kept us sane," adds Cole. "We hope this brings some joy to people. Just lean on the five of us…more on the way.”
Listen to Wildermiss and more favorites from Westword writers on our Westword Staff Picks playlist.
Keep Westword Free... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Denver with no paywalls.