Graham Nash News

"You don't know how frigging good you are. Just be yourself and sing."

That is the advice rock star Graham Nash offered 34 years ago to a nervous Bill Withers. The occasion? The recording of Withers' 1971 Sussex Records debut album, "Just As I Am."

The former Navy man and Boeing airplane-toilet-seat maker relaxed enough to spin off two major R&B hits, "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Grandma's Hands." Those, in turn, launched a career studded with such enduring R&B/pop gems as "Lean on Me," "Use Me," "Lovely Day" and "Just the Two of Us."

Columbia/Legacy commemorated Withers' momentous debut October 11 with a DualDisc reissue of "Just As I Am," which also marks the album's U.S. CD debut. The package includes an original stereo mix of the album on CD plus a DVD 5.1 surround-sound version. The DVD also features a specially commissioned 20-minute documentary and rare vintage footage of Withers performing three of the tracks. Complementing the Withers-penned liner notes are studio recollections by the album's original producer, Booker T. Jones.

Over breakfast recently in Los Angeles, the 67-year-old Withers showed he is still the frank-talking independent thinker who, early in his love-hate relationship with record labels, dubbed A&R an acronym for "antagonistic and redundant."

"I don't call A&R that just because I'm grouchy," he says in his distinctive Slab Fork, W. Va., drawl. "When I wrote and produced 'Lean on Me' and 'Use Me,' the first thing I was asked (by label executives) was, 'Who let you go in the studio and make this stuff?' The most profound suggestion I got was someone trying to prod me into doing a cover version of Elvis Presley's 'In the Ghetto."'

The self-described "left-field" singer says he began writing his own songs because "I couldn't find any songs that didn't sound like all the others." And he is definitely having the last laugh.

In addition to being sampled by rappers (including Blackstreet on the hit "No Diggity"), Withers' songs continue to be heard in commercials and soundtracks. "Use Me" and "Just the Two of Us" are in TV ads for GMC trucks and Chase bank. The film "Roll Bounce," starring Bow Wow, features "Lovely Day." And Withers sang behind Maroon5 on a new version of "Day" for an upcoming film featuring Jimmy Buffett, "Hoot."

There is also no discounting his influence on a string of contemporary artists, including Raul Midon, Chris Pierce and John Mayer.

Still, the self-deprecating Withers says he is content simply to kick back and enjoy life. Which is something he did this summer when he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame with Isaac Hayes, David Porter and others.

"That was such a fun night. I got to sing with my daughter Kori," he recalls. One of Withers' three children, Kori is a Columbia University alumna who recently received an M.F.A. in musical theater writing from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

Withers' most recent writing and recording credits are on Buffett's 2004 album, "Licensed to Chill." In addition to penning the track "Simply Complicated" with Buffett, Withers guested on his own "Playin' the Loser Again." Though Withers still dabbles in recording at his home studio, he is not concerned about touring or even issuing another album -- despite word that there is unreleased material to be mined.

"I feel very flattered that my songs have become part of the American landscape," he says. "But I don't want to make a fool of myself, dragging myself around the country trying to be something I'm not. It's too late to learn to play show business now. I never did it before. I don't know how."

But 34 years later, does he finally understand just how "frigging good" he is?

Withers pauses nearly a minute before answering grudgingly: "Probably. I should have been better. But all things considered, I did the best I could."

Reuters/Billboard