| Name |
Ben E. King |
| Height |
|
| Naionality |
American |
| Date of Birth |
28-September-1938 |
| Place of Birth |
Henderson, North Carolina |
| Famous for |
Singing |
Ben E. King is an American soul singer. He is perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of "Stand by Me," a U.S. Top 10 hit in both 1961 and later in 1986 (when it was used as the theme to the film of the same name) and a #1 hit in the UK in 1987, and as one of the principal lead singers of the R&B vocal group The Drifters.
In 1958, King (still using his birth name) joined a doo wop group called The Five Crowns. Later in 1958, The Drifters' manager George Treadwell fired the members of the original Drifters, and replaced them with The Five Crowns. King had a string of R&B hits with the group on Atlantic Records. He co-wrote and sang lead on the first Atlantic hit by the new version of the Drifters, "There Goes My Baby" (1959). He also sang lead on a succession of hits by the team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, including "Save the Last Dance for Me," "This Magic Moment," and "I Count the Tears." King only recorded thirteen songs with The Drifters— two backing other lead singers and eleven lead vocal performances —including a non-single called "Temptation" (later redone by Drifters vocalist Johnny Moore).
Due to a contract dispute with Treadwell in which King and his manager, Lover Patterson, demanded that King be given a salary increase and a fair share of royalties, King never again performed with the Drifters on tour or on television; he would only record with the group until a suitable replacement could be found. On television, fellow Drifters member Charlie Thomas usually lip synched the songs that King had recorded with the Drifters. This end gave rise to a new beginning. Currently, King is active in his charitable foundation, the Stand By Me Foundation, and is also a founding Champion of the Global Village Champions Foundation along with Muhammad Ali, Gary US Bonds, and Yank Barry.
He has been a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey since the late 1960s. King performed "Stand By Me" during a televised tribute to late comedian George Carlin, as he was one of Carlin's favorite artists. On November 11, 2010, he performed "Stand By Me" on the Latin Grammys with Prince Royce. King toured the United Kingdom, performing at venues in England, Scotland and Wales during 2011. King's album Heart & Soul, released in 2010 on the Can Am Records label, takes a page from The Great American Songbook and features contributions from various jazz artists. Jazz Times heralded King's new release for its emotional and musical impact.
