{"id":806044,"date":"2020-04-04T07:01:39","date_gmt":"2020-04-04T13:01:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/?p=978501"},"modified":"2020-04-04T07:01:39","modified_gmt":"2020-04-04T13:01:39","slug":"justin-timberlake-pays-tribute-to-bill-withers-one-of-my-biggest-idols","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/ksmt\/music-news\/justin-timberlake-pays-tribute-to-bill-withers-one-of-my-biggest-idols\/","title":{"rendered":"Justin Timberlake Pays Tribute to Bill Withers: \u2018One of My Biggest Idols\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Justin Timberlake<\/a> paid tribute to Bill Withers<\/a>, \u201cone of my biggest idols,\u201d following the death of the legendary soul singer<\/a> Friday at the age of 81.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou taught me so much about how to keep it simple and real. I felt such a kinship with you even before we met,\u201d Timberlake wrote on Instagram.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYour words and melodies\u2026 the chords that accompanied them\u2026 they reached into my soul and spoke to me so deeply. That\u2019s what your music did. It brought so many of us closer to you and to each other.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Timberlake has long professed his love of Withers\u2019 music, and has previously admitted that his own hit \u201cCan\u2019t Stop the Feeling\u201d was inspired by Withers\u2019 classic \u201cLovely Day\u201d; Timberlake played a medley of the two tracks at the 2017 Oscars. <\/span><\/p>\n

The two singers also took part in an ASCAP onstage conversation in 2010, and in 2017, Timberlake appeared alongside Withers at a Songwriters Hall of Fame event, as Timberlake alludes to in his Instagram post.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd, to actually know you was truly something special. You shined a light that was so unique and warm,\u201d Timberlake continued. \u201cI looked up to you the same way I looked up to my Poppa\u2026 and he was my favorite human in the world. You have always been one of the greatest and will forever be. I will miss your jokes and I will never forget your advice to me about music\u2026 \u2018How does it make you FEEL? That\u2019s the only question you have to answer.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Read Timberlake\u2019s full remembrance below and see footage of Withers\u2019 Songwriters Hall of Fame conversation with Timberlake:<\/span><\/p>\n

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