Who performed the song 'Lovely Day' in 1977?

Who performed the song “Lovely Day” in 1977? Bill Withers performed it.

Withers recorded “Lovely Day” for Menagerie, his sixth studio album, and Columbia Records released it as a single in late 1977. The song was written by Withers and Skip Scarborough, with Clarence McDonald producing and arranging the original recording.

Its bright, steady groove combines soul, R&B, funk, and disco influences. The recording is especially famous for Withers’s sustained high E near the end: the note lasts about 18 seconds, an extraordinary feat that helped make the performance instantly recognizable.

“Lovely Day” reached No. 30 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 6 on the R&B chart. In the United Kingdom, it later became even more prominent, reaching No. 7. A 1988 Ben Liebrand remix renewed interest in the original, while covers, interpolations, advertising placements, and film appearances introduced the song to later generations.

The title is sometimes confused with Withers’s 1978 song “Lovely Night for Dancing,” but that is a separate recording.