Ben E King Dead at 76 (VIDEO)

Ben E. King, singer of the beloved classic, “Stand By Me,” has died at the age of 76.

From Billboard:

Over his career, King had 21 songs crack the Billboard Hot 100, most notably the iconic 1961 single “Stand By Me.” The U.S. Library of Congress added the classic to the National Recording Registry earlier this year, saying, “It was King’s incandescent vocal that made it a classic.”

King charted 21 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 between 1961 and 1975, including the top 10s “Spanish Harlem” (produced by Phil Spector), “Stand by Me” and “Supernatural Thing – Part 1.” His iconic “Stand” reached No. 4 in 1961 and then returned for a second top 10 run (hitting No. 9) in 1986, reborn as the theme of the box office hit movie of the same name. John Lennon’s 1975 cover of “Stand By Me” reached No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.

King was born September 23, 1938 in Henderson, NC and moved with his family to Harlem in 1947. He was a member of the singing group, Drifters in the late 1950s before going solo.

“Stand By Me was sung 4 times on American Idol. By Bo Bice (S4), David Archuleta (s7), Danny Gokey (S8) and Phillip Phillips (S11)

David Archuleta

The song was also a staple of David’s live show.

Danny Gokey

Phillip Phillips

Simon Fuller chose the song for the finale.

The song has also been sung on The Voice

Luke Wade (s7)

https://youtu.be/rN1sCtXojTY

Nicholas David

Ddendyl (S6)

https://youtu.be/0sDy5Us7V5c

Carlito Olivero from X Factor (s3)

…And Ben E King

This looks like Shindig maybe? From the 1960s

About mj santilli 34843 Articles
Founder and editor of mjsbigblog.com, home of the awesomest fan community on the net. I love cheesy singing shows of all kinds, whether reality or scripted. I adore American Idol, but also love The Voice, Glee, X Factor and more!