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