When soul music legend Bill Withers joined forces with the amazing Stevie Wonder, you just knew something special was about to happen. And to make it even better, they brought along the super-talented John Legend to perform with them! It all went down at Withers’ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, and the crowd was in for a real treat.
The show kicked off with John Legend on the electric piano, singing the first verse and chorus of “Lean On Me.” His smooth voice set the perfect mood. Then, Stevie Wonder took over and sang the second verse, adding his magic to the mix. When Legend and Wonder sang the chorus together, their voices blended beautifully — it was pure harmony that gave everyone goosebumps.
You could feel the love in the room. Everyone there truly respected and admired Withers and his music. And then came the moment that brought the house down — Bill Withers himself stood up and joined them on the hook! At 75 years old, he still had that powerful voice, and the crowd went wild, cheering loudly. The whole performance felt joyful, like a big celebration of Withers’ incredible career. One music site, Notes Like These, even calls him “one of the greatest of all time.”
This magical performance happened back in 2015, when Withers was officially inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Stevie Wonder had the honor of introducing him. Withers had been retired from music for a long time, so his return to the stage was a rare and emotional moment. That performance was uploaded to YouTube, and it quickly racked up over 13 million views! Fans couldn’t stop talking about it. One person wrote, “Stevie Wonder opened up and it literally brought me to tears. People these days just can’t compete with that.” Another fan said, “Truly amazing! Tears in the eyes, just a wonderful performance from three of the best of all time.”
Back in the 1970s, Bill Withers was a huge star. His band was known for being one of the tightest and most exciting live acts out there. One of his best TV performances happened in 1972, on a show called Old Grey Whistle Test. He performed his funky hit “Use Me” with a cool, laid-back vibe. The groove was unreal, and Withers’ voice was absolutely killer. It showed why he was such a master on stage.
Withers wrote and produced “Lean On Me” all by himself. He released it on April 21, 1972, and it became a massive hit. The song was inspired by the strong, close-knit community in Slab Fork, West Virginia, the coal mining town where Withers grew up. “Lean On Me” was the lead single from his second album, Still Bill, and it shot straight to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Even decades later, people still love it — in 2010, Rolling Stone ranked it at number 208 on their list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
