Scoreload

Ben E. King was an influential American soul and R&B singer and record producer, renowned for his rich, emotive baritone voice. Born Benjamin Earl Nelson in Henderson, North Carolina, King rose to fame as the lead singer of The Drifters, co-writing and singing on hits like "There Goes My Baby" and "Save the Last Dance for Me". He embarked on a highly successful solo career in 1960, achieving immortality with his self-penned anthem "Stand by Me". Other major solo hits included "Spanish Harlem" and "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)". King remained a respected figure in soul music, performing and recording until his death in 2015. His music, particularly "Stand by Me", has had a profound and lasting cultural impact.

• King was born in North Carolina but moved to Harlem, New York City, at age nine, where his musical journey began.
• He legally changed his surname from Nelson to King both as a tribute to his father and to avoid confusion with the boxer Sugar Ray Nelson, using the 'E.' for Earl.
• His departure from The Drifters in 1960 was contentious; manager George Treadwell fired him after King requested a raise and a share of the group's name ownership following their success.
• "Stand by Me", initially a B-side, became one of the most covered songs in history. Its resurgence in the 1980s, featured in the film of the same name, propelled it back into the Top 10, introducing it to a new generation.
• King died of natural causes (coronary heart disease) at the age of 76 in Hackensack, New Jersey. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Drifters in 1988 and his solo recording of "Stand by Me" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.