Legendary soul singer Bill Withers’ cause of death has been revealed with the release of his birth certificate.
The 81-year-old musical genius, who brought us such classic hits as Lean On Me and Ain’t No Sunshine, died in Los Angeles at the end of March. At the time, media outlets reported that he had died from heart complications.
According to TMZ, who obtained a copy of the singer’s death certificate, he died after suffering a cardiopulmonary arrest, which was complicated by COPD and Arrhythmia.
The certificate also confirmed that Withers died on March 30 at 10:44 AM at Providence Tarzana Regional Medical Centre. He was laid to rest at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.
His death had been announced earlier this month by his family, who released a statement at the time.
“We are devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father. A solitary man with a heart-driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and music, he spoke honestly to people and connected them to each other.”
“As private a life as he lived close to intimate family and friends, his music forever belongs to the world,” the statement continued. “In this difficult time, we pray his music offers comfort and entertainment as fans hold tight to loved ones.”
What is a cardiopulmonary arrest?
According to the Mayo Clinic, a cardiopulmonary arrest — which is often referred to as a cardiac arrest — “is the abrupt loss of heart function, breathing, and consciousness,” according to the Mayo Clinic,
This condition usually results from an electrical disturbance in the heart that causes the organ to stop pumping blood to the body.
A cardiac arrest differs from a heart attack, the latter of which is what happens when blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked. However, a heart attack can subsequently lead to a cardiac arrest.
Meanwhile, arrhythmia occurs when electrical impulses controlling the heartbeat cause the organ to beat either too slow or too fast.
The CDC states that COPD or Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis that causes airflow blockage and breathing-related problems.
Bill Withers was a giant in the music industry
Bill Withers made a colossal impact on the music industry during his relatively short musical career. He won three Grammy Awards and he received ten Grammy nominations.
Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time features Ain’t No Sunshine and Lean On Me.
Lean On Me was performed at the inaugurations for both Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
Ain't No Sunshine- Bill Withers pic.twitter.com/wajHbpDT4e
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This month, America lost another one of its greatest songwriters in John Prine. The 73-year-old musical genius, who brought us Angel From Montgomery and Hello In There, died from complications relating to COVID-19 at the beginning of April.
May both John Prine and Bill Withers Rest in Peace.