Ben E. King

Biography

Benjamin Earl Nelson, known professionally as Ben E. King, was born on September 28, 1938, in Henderson, North Carolina. He sang in church choirs there before his family moved to Harlem, New York, in 1947 when he was nine. In Harlem, he formed the doo-wop group the Four B’s at James Fenimore Junior High School and later joined the Five Crowns in 1956 or 1958. In 1958, the Drifters' manager George Treadwell replaced the original Drifters with the Five Crowns, and King became the principal lead singer, adopting the stage name Ben E. King. With the Drifters, he co-wrote and sang lead on hits like 'There Goes My Baby' (1959), 'This Magic Moment,' and 'Save the Last Dance for Me' (1960, their only US number one), showcasing his smooth, emotive R&B and soul style influenced by doo-wop and orchestral arrangements from songwriters Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman.[1][2][4]

King left the Drifters in May 1960 for a solo career with Atlantic Records' Atco imprint. His early solo releases struggled, but 'Spanish Harlem' (1960, produced by Phil Spector and Jerry Leiber) and 'Stand by Me' (1961, which he co-composed) became top-10 hits, with the latter topping the R&B chart and later re-charting in 1986 due to the film soundtrack. Other successes included 'Don't Play That Song (You Lied)' (1962), 'I (Who Have Nothing)' (1963), and a 1975 disco comeback with 'Supernatural Thing' (top-five Hot 100, number one R&B). He collaborated with Average White Band on the 1977 album Benny & Us. King's versatile baritone blended gospel roots, R&B, and soul, yielding 12 Top 10 and 28 Top 40 hits across pop and R&B charts.[1][3][4]

King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 as a Drifter (nominated solo), the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000 with the Drifters, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012 for 'Stand by Me' as a Towering Song. He resided in Teaneck, New Jersey, from the late 1960s, ran the Stand By Me Foundation for youth education, and performed into later years, including at the 2010 Latin Grammys with Prince Royce. He died on April 30, 2015, in Hackensack, New Jersey.[1][2]

Fun Facts

• King co-wrote his signature hit 'Stand by Me,' which charted top-10 twice (1961, 1986) and number one in the UK (1987), earning RIAA Songs of the Century status and Rock Hall's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll.
• 'Supernatural Thing' (1975) marked a disco comeback, hitting number five on Billboard Hot 100, number one R&B, and earning a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male.
• He formed the Four B’s doo-wop group in junior high (names started with 'B') and auditioned unsuccessfully for The Moonglows before joining the Five Crowns.
• King ran the Stand By Me Foundation to provide education to youths and lived in Teaneck, New Jersey, from the late 1960s.

Associated Acts

• The Drifters (1958-06–1960-05)
• The Drifters (1981–1985)
• The Soul Clan

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Doc Pomus - Songwriter who penned key Drifters hits with King as lead ('Save the Last Dance for Me', 'This Magic Moment', 'I Count the Tears') [1959-1960]
• Mort Shuman - Songwriting partner with Doc Pomus for Drifters hits ('Save the Last Dance for Me', 'This Magic Moment') [1959-1960]
• George Treadwell - Drifters manager who recruited King's group as the new Drifters (Reformation of the Drifters) [1958]

Key Collaborators

• The Drifters - Lead singer for reorganized group ('There Goes My Baby', 'This Magic Moment', 'Save the Last Dance for Me') [1958-1960]
• Average White Band - Album collaboration (Benny & Us (hits 'A Star in the Ghetto', 'Get It Up')) [1977]
• Lavern Baker - Duet single ('A Help-Each-Other') [1960]
• Prince Royce - Live performance ('Stand by Me' at Latin Grammys) [2010]

Artists Influenced

• Multiple artists - Songs covered extensively ('Stand by Me', 'Spanish Harlem', 'I (Who Have Nothing)', 'Don't Play That Song') [1960s onward]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Stand By Me (Don't Play That Song)
2. Stand By Me (Don't Play That Song (Mono))
3. Stand By Me
4. Spanish Harlem (Spanish Harlem)
5. Supernatural Thing, Pt. 1 (Supernatural Thing)
6. Stand By Me
7. Sway (Spanish Harlem)
8. Stand By Me
9. Stand By Me - &friends Remix
10. This Magic Moment

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #funk, #jazz-pop, #pop