Everyone should know the music of Bill Withers. His classic songs include “Lean on Me” and “Ain’t No Sunshine” and my personal favorite, “Use Me.” Multiple seasons of American Idol have butchered Wither’s songs, but if you go back to the source, you will find Grammy Award-winning songwriting and singing brilliance.

Wither’s fame was at its peak in the early 1970s, reaching #1 and #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Lean on Me” and “Use Me” and #3 with “Ain’t No Sunshine” in 1971. For most artists, that would be a worthy career in itself.

But Bill had more in him as the #2 placement of “Just the Two of Us” with Grover Washingon Jr. proved in early 1981.

Learn more about Bill Withers “Use Me” and hear his greatest hits.

But enough about Bill. Let’s talk about Grover Washington Jr. For better or worse, this tenor sax player is considered one of the founders of smooth jazz. That’s the jazz genre that gave the world George Benson, John Klemmer, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, Spyro Gyra and Kenny G. You can decide how you feel about that achievement. I’m perfectly comfortable with it.

Washington’s 1981 record Limelight included “Just the Two of Us” and won Grammy Awards for Best R&B Song (“Just The Two of Us”) and Best Jazz Fusion Performance (“Winelight”). The “Winelight” album was also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Click to hear more Grammy Award one-hit wonders

Listen to “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr.

Like “You’re a Friend of Mine” by Clarence Clemons, it’s one of the rare one-hit wonders that features a saxophone player as the primary artist.

Sadly, Washington died at the age of 56 from a massive heart attack just hours after he recorded an appearance on CBS TV’s The Early Show.