Still Bill
Mar 31, 2010
(Alex Vlack and Damani Baker, USA, 2009, Beta-SP, 82 min)
Seattle Premiere
Sponsored by KBCS 91.3FM and Jive Time Records
Soul music legend Bill Withers was an undersized, asthmatic, stuttering child from the small town of Slab Fork, West Virginia. After a stint in the Navy, he ended up working odd jobs in California as a clerk, a milkman and a mechanic. It wasn’t until his mid-30s that the instant success of his song “Ain’t No Sunshine” would catapult the unlikely pop star into fame through records, tours and television appearances. Withers followed Sunshine with classics such as “Use Me,” “Grandma’s Hands,” “Lean On Me” and “Just The Two Of Us.” But he grew tired of the music industry and chose to be a husband and a father rather than a hitmaker. This intimate documentary highlights his career, catches up with the reclusive, low-key singer at home and captures his first musical endeavors in decades. The film also includes commentary from Cornell West and Tavis Smiley.
Check the trailer...
