Which 1971 Bill Withers single was his debut and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100?

The 1971 Bill Withers single that was his debut and reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 was “Ain’t No Sunshine.” It appeared on his debut album, Just As I Am, and became his breakthrough hit.

Withers wrote the song after watching the 1962 film Days of Wine and Roses, whose characters struggle with alcoholism. He was still working in a factory making lavatories for Boeing 747s when he wrote it. Booker T. Jones produced the recording, with Donald “Duck” Dunn on bass, Al Jackson Jr. on drums and Stephen Stills on guitar.

“Ain’t No Sunshine” was originally issued as the B-side to “Harlem,” but disc jockeys preferred it and helped turn it into a hit. It peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 and No. 6 on Billboard’s R&B chart. The repeated “I know” passage was originally meant to receive more lyrics, but the musicians persuaded Withers to leave it as a stark repetition.

It is sometimes confused with later Withers hits such as “Lean on Me,” “Use Me” and “Lovely Day.” “Ain’t No Sunshine” was his first major success and won the Grammy for Best R&B Song in 1972.