Ben E. King Dies Aged 76

Ben E. King has died at the age of 76.

The R&B and soul singer was best known for the classic song Stand By Me.

Ben E. King started his career in the late 1950s with The Drifters, singing on hits including There Goes My Baby and Save The Last Dance For Me.

After going solo, the singer hit the US top five with Stand By Me in 1961.

The songreturned to the charts in the 1980s, including a three-week spell at number one in the UK, following its use in the film of the same name and a TV advert.

Stand By Me has charted nine times on the US Billboard 100 over the years – Ben E. King’s version twice and seven times with covers by artists like John Lennon and Spyder Turner.

It was also sampled for Sean Kingston’s 2007 number one single Beautiful Girls.

Earlier this year, the US Library of Congress added the song to the National Recording Registry, declaring that “it was King’s incandescent vocal that made it a classic”.

Ben E. King’s other hits included Spanish Harlem, Amor, Don’t Play That Song (You Lied) and Supernatural Thing – Part I.