On Saturday, April 18th, Stevie Wonder joined a star-studded lineup for the One World: Together At Home broadcast, where the decorated musician performed a tribute to the late Bill Withers, who passed away in late March at the age of 81 due to heart complications.
Related: Musical Tributes To Bill Withers Pour In From Across The Internet [Videos]
Hosted by Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert, the World Health Organization and Global Citizen created the event to express gratitude and support for health care workers fighting against COVID-19. Boasting a lineup of artists like The Rolling Stones, Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, John Legend, Eddie Vedder, and Taylor Swift, One World saw tens of millions of views across both digital and legacy media platforms, generating much-needed donations to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO.
Following Lady Gaga‘s performance of “Smile”, the Charlie Chaplin-composed song popularized by Nat King Cole, Wonder appeared on screens across the globe after an introduction by Colbert.
Related: Stevie Wonder Surprise Calls Questlove During DJ Livestream [Watch]
“During hardships like this, we have lean on each other for help,” noted Wonder at the beginning of his video. “My friend, the late Bill Withers, has a perfect song about that, and I want us to remember him tonight,” he finished before launching into arguably Withers’ most popular song, “Lean On Me”. In typical fashion, Wonder delivered powerful vocals from the bench of his piano. After a particularly spirited second chorus, Stevie shifted gears, moving into his original, “Love’s In Need of Love Today”. The song’s first verse spoke of important news that “Could change your joy and laughter to tears and pain” before the refrain “Love’s in need of love today” repeated during the chorus. While Wonder released the song back in 1976 as part of his Songs in the Key of Life album, it took on new meaning given the current global health crisis. Watch Stevie Wonder pay tribute to Bill Withers below.
Stevie Wonder – “Lean On Me” > “Love’s In Need of Love Today” – One World: Together At Home
[Video: Global Citizen].