Famed American soul singer Ben E. King has passed away at the age of 76. As his publicist confirmed, King died yesterday (April 30) of natural causes.
Born in Henderson, NC, and raised in Harlem, NY, the singer got his big break in the music business as a member of the Drifters, singing on hit songs like "There Goes My Baby" and "Save the Last Dance for Me." As part of the Drifters, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
King later enjoyed solo success, releasing the hit single "Stand By Me" in 1961. The song — written by King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller — reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, re-entering the top ten in 1986 after the release of the film of the same name.
Earlier this year, "Stand By Me" was added to the National Recording Registry by the U.S. Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically and aesthetically significant."
Born in Henderson, NC, and raised in Harlem, NY, the singer got his big break in the music business as a member of the Drifters, singing on hit songs like "There Goes My Baby" and "Save the Last Dance for Me." As part of the Drifters, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
King later enjoyed solo success, releasing the hit single "Stand By Me" in 1961. The song — written by King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller — reached the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, re-entering the top ten in 1986 after the release of the film of the same name.
Earlier this year, "Stand By Me" was added to the National Recording Registry by the U.S. Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically and aesthetically significant."