Lean on Me

Recorded at Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles for Bill Withers' second studio album, Still Bill, released in 1972. Withers performed lead vocals and piano, accompanied by Benorce Blackmon on guitar, Melvin Dunlap on bass, James Gadson on drums and Ray Jackson on electric piano, with engineering by Phil Schier and Bob Hughes. Released as a single on Sussex Records in April 1972, 'Lean on Me' became Bill Withers' first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, holding the top position for three weeks. Inspired by the close-knit community of his childhood in Slab Fork, West Virginia, its message of solidarity and mutual support established the song as one of the defining recordings of his career. 'Lean on Me' became an enduring anthem of friendship, community and collective resilience, frequently performed at charitable events, memorials and public gatherings. Club Nouveau's 1987 recording also reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, while the original was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007 and the composition entered the Library of Congress National Recording Registry in 2024.