He was the original drummer of the rock band Dire Straits and played on their first four albums, which included hit singles such as "Sultans of Swing", "Romeo and Juliet" and "Private Investigations".

[2][3] Taught by childhood friend Richard Storer, Withers first played a drum in the Boys' Brigade in his home city of Leicester.

[6] Withers was briefly a member of folk-rock outfit Magna Carta in 1977, but once Dire Straits gained a recording contract, turned to drumming for that band full-time.

His style with Dire Straits is distinctive for being restrained, favouring sparse snare drum and hi-hat combinations rather than heavy beats, speed and technical flourishes.

In a 2021 interview in which he was asked why he left, Withers said that the band was becoming too loud, he was tired of the treadmill, and he wanted to try new things.