Bill Withers Supercharged Hip-Hop’s Crossover Appeal

Teddy Riley and Will Smith would cosign

Photo: Fin Costello/Redferns/Getty Images

Last week, the musical landscape changed forever with Bill Withers’ death from heart complications. The legend with an instantly identifiable baritone supplied timeless American music, from the enduring vocal break on his 1971 hit “Ain’t No Sunshine” to the fresh, optimistic vibes of “Lovely Day.” Withers’…