Bill Withers, a soulful singer best known for the 1970s hits “Lean on Me,” “Lovely Day,” and “Ain’t No Sunshine,” has passed away at age 81 from heart problems, his family stated on Friday.

Withers produced nine albums, most of them written and recorded in the 1970s, starting with “Just As I Am,” which included “Ain’t No Sunshine,” which won him the first of three Grammy Awards, according to his official website.

His musical profession dropped in the 1980s as he left “the hype and the hoopla” of the spotlight for more private life, it stated.

“A solitary man with a heart-driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them,” Wanderer publication priced estimate the family as stating a declaration. “As private a life as he lived close to intimate family and friends, his music forever belongs to the world.”

Withers was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Popularity in 2015, among his several honors, and made a rare public appearance to accept the tribute.

His death drew a flood of tributes, including one from Democratic U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, who stated he often played Withers’ “Lovely Day” at events during his now-ended presidential campaign.

“In this time of death and pain, I hold onto him,” Booker stated in a declaration. “He gave us lifetimes of light, and that flame will never be extinguished.”

Booker’s former campaign competitor, Senator Kamala Harris of California, called Withers a legend whose song “Grandma’s Hands” advised her of her granny and other mom figures.

“Let’s all continue to live by his cherished lyrics during these times and lean on each other,” Harris stated in a statement.

William Harrison Withers Jr. was born upon July 4, 1938, in Piece Fork, West Virginia, a coal nation town of 200, the boy of a miner who passed away when Withers was 13 He joined the Navy at 17 as his “ticket out,” according to his website.

After his military service, he moved to Los Angeles, where he worked in an aircraft parts factory, taught himself to play the guitar, and made a demonstration tape that introduced his career.

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