Still Bill - great feature bio of WV musician Bill Withers
FestivALL had the premiere, along with the WVIFF, last June of a new feature film, “Still Bill,” about WV-born and raised musician Bill Withers, once a famous popular musician who gave it all up to stay home and raise his family and work at a regular job. He was in the first group of people inducted into the WV Music Hall of Fame in its first class in 2007. ( I for one had no idea that the man who wrote “Lean on Me,” and many other popular tunes was from WV.) I have never seen a more inspiring film about a musician, showing how he had to overcome incredible handicaps, including growing up in a WV coal camp, stuttering until he was 28, and finally walking away from a music industry that wanted to turn him into something other than what he is.
B-Side Entertainment has acquired the film and is distributing it. They sent me a copy within a week of my request to see the ONLY film I have included in my annual lists of new WV films published by Goldenseal magazine. I just could NOT get a preview copy all summer long.
I did watch the film and loved it. Seeing Bill when he was famous, and now at home with his daughter, in his in-house recording studio, was very touching. The most touching part was seeing Bill’s photo of his grandmother who meant so much to him. The film is in fact dedicated to grandmothers.
His return to Slabfork, Mercer County, WV was touching. During the entire film, Bill sheds tears, usually of happiness, to show that he has become the person that he always wanted to become - first a man, a husband, a father, and then a musician.
I hope many WV schoolrooms get to show this film, and show WV students how one of their own “made it to the top” and gave the world a catalog of great songs despite many obstacles. The film will soon be for sale for $19.95. See the B-Side website to pre-order. Congrats to the two directors who presented the life of a man you will never forget.
November 3rd, 2009 at
I’m glad you finally got the chance to see this phenomenal film. Damani Baker may be one of the nicest and most gracious filmmakers I’ve ever met. Sorry I couldn’t get a copy of it for you this summer though. Lord knows I tried.