вЂњIt was a time where a fat, ugly broad that could sing had value. вЂњI grew up in the age of Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Nancy Wilson,вЂќ he says, still musing on the Grammys. The hostess knows him by name, but otherwise he blends into the crowd. вЂњThese days,вЂќ he says, вЂњI wouldnвЂ™t know a pop chart from a Pop-Tart.вЂќДЇlashback: Tina Turner Covers Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson on Debut Solo AlbumДЄs the Grammy telecast begins, and AC/DC kick off the show, Withers jumps into his Lexus SUV and heads down to his favorite restaurant, Le Petit Four he has a hankering for liver and onions but settles for the blackened catfish. On the mantel in a hallway, there is a Best R&B Song award, for 1980вЂ™s вЂњJust the Two of Us,вЂќ from the last time he attended the show, three decades ago it sits next to two other Grammys, for 1971вЂ™s вЂњAinвЂ™t No SunshineвЂќ and 1972вЂ™s вЂњ Lean on Me.вЂќ A few years after вЂњTwo of Us,вЂќ Withers became one of the few stars in pop-music history to truly walk away from a lucrative career, entirely of his own volition, and never look back. HeвЂ™s padding around his home wearing Adidas track pants, an old T-shirt with a drawing of a bus on it, and athletic sandals with blue socks. But the 76-year-old Withers could not be less interested. Today, in about two hours, the Los Angeles basketball arena will host the Grammy Awards every once in a while, a limo will rush through WithersвЂ™ neighborhood, on its way to the event. On a clear day, you can see the Staples Center from Bill WithersвЂ™ house, which sits high in the hills above West Hollywood.

Bill withers just the two of us