Bill Withers, who died in 2020, was one of the great American soul singers. Photo: Goebel/picture alliance via Getty Images.
Bill Withers was one of the great American soul singers, and he left his mark on a generation of musicians in Aotearoa, who will come together in a special tribute to him at the Auckland Arts Festival.
Rio Hemopo of TrinityRoots and Breaks Co-op fame is part of an all-star band of Aotearoa musicians who will perform The Bill Withers Social Club 9 March alongside vocalists Troy Kingi, Dallas Tamaira, L. A. Mitchell, and band members Iraia Whakamoe, Ryan Prebble, Adán Tijerina and Daniel Hayles.
"He's such an inspiration to all of us," Hemopo said of Withers, who died in 2020.
Withers was the distinctive rich voice behind such songs as 'Lean On Me,' 'Ain't No Sunshine' and "Grandma's Hands' and the winner of three Grammy Awards.
'If I can just really vibe on the beauty of the music, I'll be lost in it with the audience' - Listen to the full interview with Rio Hemopo here
"Personally, I just love his ability to speak to the human condition very simply and quite profoundly," Hemopo said.
"In preparation for this gig I've been kind of looking at a few of his interviews just to remind myself of where he was coming from as an artist and how he interpreted the world.
"He grew up in West Virginia in a mining town in the United States and he had a severe stutter as a child, so the complexity of a small town and then having the condition of stuttering really impacted the way he sort of interacted with the world.
"I think he spent a lot of time like refining the things he would say because of the fear of being sort of stuck with a word."
It is a challenge for the artists to interpret and update Withers' songs, Hemopo said.
"There's a discipline to just even get his band grooves, the phrasing of his vocals and bring that all together."
As pandemic restrictions ease, many musicians have spoken of their relief and joy at being able to perform in front of crowds again.
"Getting back into playing again especially after the pandemic - well, not that it's finished, but the restrictions of the pandemic - it's been cool.
"It's actually been a little bit like I felt myself in a few things thinking, 'Are there too many people together here?' ... It's an adjustment, on so many levels.
"I think if I can lock in with Iraia on the drums and the rest of the band in terms of the grooves and just really vibe on the beauty of the music, I'll be lost in it with the audience as well."
- The Bill Withers Social Club will be performed 9 March at Auckland Town Hall as part of the Auckland Arts Festival. For full details, visit their website.