In September of 1972, after having been nominated for three Grammys and winning one, Bill Withers spoke with The New York Times, and declared that the whole music thing was simply a phase for him.

In 1985, Bill Withers, walked away from the music industry, deciding to not record or re-sign to a record label. He wanted to return to his “regular guy” life, and be a husband and father.

When Bill Withers began making “Just As I Am,” he was employed as a factory worker at Weber Aircraft in California. The picture of him on the cover of the album was taken while he was on his lunch break. His “regular guy” life and point of view provided his music with a spectacular simplicity and relatability that eventually earned him four more Grammy nominations and two more trophies.

In this episode, we’ll look Withers' protest music and how he remains a major figure of fighting the powers that be.

Guests:

Aloe Blacc