Ben E. King
Ben E. King | |
---|---|
Birth name | Benjamin Earl Nelson |
Born | Henderson, North Carolina, U.S. | September 28, 1938
Origin | Harlem, New York, U.S. |
Died | April 30, 2015 Hackensack, New Jersey, U.S. | (aged 76)
Genres | |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, record producer |
Instrument(s) |
|
Years active | 1958–2015 |
Labels | |
Website | beneking |
Benjamin Earl King[1] (né Nelson; September 28, 1938 – April 30, 2015) was an American soul and R&B singer and record producer. He rose to prominence as one of the principal lead singers of the R&B vocal group the Drifters, notably singing the lead vocals on three of their biggest hit singles "There Goes My Baby", "This Magic Moment", and "Save the Last Dance for Me" (their only U.S. No. 1 hit).[2]
As a soloist, King is best known as the singer and
King was inducted into the
Early life
Benjamin Earl Nelson was born on September 28, 1938, in Henderson, North Carolina,[2] and moved to Harlem, New York, at the age of nine in 1947.[7] He began singing in church choirs, and in high school formed the Four B's, a doo-wop group that occasionally performed at the Apollo Theater.[8]
Career
The Drifters
In 1958, King (still using his birth name) joined a doo-wop group called the Five Crowns.[8] Later that year, the Drifters' manager George Treadwell fired the members of the original Drifters, and replaced them with the members of the Five Crowns.[9]
King had a string of
After a year of touring with the Drifters, contract disputes arose with Treadwell, in which King and his manager Lover Patterson demanded greater compensation. Treadwell refused, and King was only hired for studio recordings. On television, fellow Drifters member
Solo career
In May 1960, King left the Drifters,[2] assuming the stage name Ben E. King in preparation for a solo career. Remaining with Atlantic Records on its Atco imprint, King scored his first solo hit with the ballad "Spanish Harlem" (1961).[2]
King's next single, "
King's records continued to place well on the
King returned to the Drifters in late 1982 in the United Kingdom and sang with them until the group's break-up and reorganization in 1986.[16] From 1983 until the band's break-up, the other members of this incarnation of the Drifters were Johnny Moore, Joe Blunt, and Clyde Brown.[citation needed]
A 1986 re-issue of "Stand by Me" followed the song's use as the
In 1990, King and
As a Drifter and solo artist, King achieved five number-one hits: "There Goes My Baby", "Save the Last Dance for Me", "Stand By Me", "Supernatural Thing", and the 1986 re-issue of "Stand By Me". He also earned 12 Top 10 hits and 26 Top 40 hits from 1959 to 1986. King was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a Drifter;[19] he was also nominated as a solo artist.[20]
A re-recording of King's "I (Who Have Nothing)" was selected for the Sopranos Peppers and Eggs Soundtrack CD (2001).[21]
King was inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009.[22]
On March 27, 2012, the Songwriters Hall of Fame announced that "Stand By Me" would receive its 2012 Towering Song Award and that King would be honored with the 2012 Towering Performance Award for his recording of the song.[23]
Later life
King was active in his charitable foundation, the Stand By Me Foundation, which helps to provide education to deserving youths.[12][24] He was a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey, from the late 1960s onwards.[25]
King performed "Stand By Me" during a televised tribute to late comedian George Carlin, as he was one of Carlin's favorite artists.[26]
On November 11, 2010, King performed "Stand By Me" at the Latin Grammys with Prince Royce.[27]
King toured the United Kingdom in 2013 and played concerts in the United States as late as 2014, despite reported health problems.[28]
Following a brief illness, King died at Hackensack University Medical Center on April 30, 2015, at the age of 76.[28][29][30] He was married for fifty years and had three children and six grandchildren.[31]
Legacy
King has been covered by acts from several genres. "
Discography
Studio albums
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [34][35] |
US R&B [36] |
UK [37] | |||
Spanish Harlem | 1961 | — | — | 30 | |
Ben E. King Sings for Soulful Lovers | 1962 | — | — | — | |
Don't Play That Song! | — | — | — | ||
Young Boy Blues | 1964 | — | — | — | |
Seven Letters | 1965 | — | — | — | |
What Is Soul | 1967 | — | — | — | |
Rough Edges | 1970 | — | — | — | |
The Beginning of It All | 1972 | — | — | — | |
Supernatural | 1975 | 39 | 13 | — | |
I Had a Love | 1976 | — | — | — | |
Rhapsody
|
— | — | — | ||
Benny And Us (with Average White Band) |
1977 | 33 | — | — | |
Let Me Live in Your Life | 1978 | — | — | — | |
Music Trance | 1980 | — | 73 | — | |
What Is Soul | 1981 | — | — | — | |
Street Tough | — | — | — | ||
Save the Last Dance for Me | 1987 | — | — | — | |
What's Important to Me | 1991 | — | 82 | — | |
Shades of Blue | 1993 | — | — | — | |
I Have Songs In My Pocket
|
1998 | — | — | — | |
I've Been Around | 2006 | — | — | — | |
White Christmas | 2008 | — | — | — | |
Heart & Soul | 2010 | — | — | — | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Live album
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | |
---|---|---|---|
US [34] |
US R&B [36] | ||
Person to Person: Live at the Blue Note | 2003 | — | 30 |
Compilation albums
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [34] |
US R&B [36] |
GER [38] |
SWI [39] |
UK [37] | ||
Ben E. King's Greatest Hits | 1964 | — | — | — | — | — |
Stand by Me: The Ultimate Collection | 1987 | — | — | 35 | 18 | 14 |
The Very Best of Ben E. King and the Drifters (with the Drifters) |
1990 | — | — | — | — | 15 |
Anthology | 1993 | — | — | — | — | — |
The Very Best of Ben E. King | 1998 | — | — | — | — | — |
Eleven Best | 2001 | — | — | — | — | — |
Soul Masters | 2005 | — | — | — | — | — |
Love Is Gonna Get You | 2007 | — | — | — | — | — |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
Singles
As lead of the Drifters
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [40] |
US R&B [41] |
BEL (FL) [42] |
BEL (WA) [42] |
GER [42] |
NL [42] |
NOR [42] |
UK [43] | ||||
"There Goes My Baby" | 1959 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Dance with Me" | 15 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | 17 | |||
"This Magic Moment" | 1960 | 16 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Lonely Winds" | 54 | 9 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
"Save the Last Dance for Me" | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |||
"I Count the Tears" | 17 | 6 | — | — | — | — | — | 28 | |||
"Sometimes I Wonder" | 1962 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. |
As a solo artist
Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications
| |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
US [44] |
US R&B [36] |
BEL (FL) [45] |
BEL (WA) [46] |
GER [38] |
NL [47] |
NOR [48] |
NZ [49] |
SWI [39] |
UK [37] | |||
"Show Me the Way" | 1960 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"A Help-Each-Other Romance" (with LaVern Baker) |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"First Taste of Love" | 53 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | ||
"Spanish Harlem" (original or 1987 reissue) |
10 | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 92 | ||
"Stand by Me" (original or 1987 reissue) |
1961 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 46 | 2 | 11 | 9 | 45 | 3 | 1 | |
"Amor" | 18 | 10 | — | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | 38 | ||
"Here Comes the Night" | 81 | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Young Boy Blues" | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Ecstasy" | 1962 | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" | 11 | 2 | — | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Too Bad" | 88 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"I'm Standing By" | 111 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Tell Daddy" | 122 | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"How Can I Forget" | 1963 | 85 | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"I (Who Have Nothing)" | 29 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"I Could Have Danced All Night" | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"What Now My Love" | 1964 | 102 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"That's When It Hurts" | 63 | 17 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Amore Quando" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"What Can a Man Do" | 113 | 39 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"It's All Over" | 72 | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Seven Letters" | 45 | 11 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"The Record (Baby I Love You)" | 1965 | 84 | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"She's Gone Again" | 128 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Cry No More" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Goodnight My Love" | 91 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"So Much Love" | 1966 | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"I Swear by Stars Above" | — | 35 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"What Is Soul?" | — | 38 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Tears, Tears, Tears" | 1967 | 93 | 34 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"Katherine" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Don't Take Your Sweet Love Away" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"We Got a Thing Goin' On" (with Dee Dee Sharp) |
1968 | 127 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"Don't Take Your Love from Me" | 117 | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Soul Meeting" (as part of the Soul Clan) |
— | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"It's Amazing" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
Till I Can't Take It Anymore | 134 | 37 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Hey Little One" | 1969 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"I Can't Take It Like a Man" | — | 45 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"In the Midnight Hour/Lay Lady Lay" | 1970 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"Take Me to the Pilot" | 1972 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"Into the Mystic" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Spread Myself Around" | 1973 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
" Supernatural Thing "
|
1975 | 5 | 1 | — | — | 49 | — | — | — | — | — | |
"Do It in the Name of Love" | 60 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"I Had a Love" | — | 23 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"I Betcha Didn't Know That" | 1976 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"Somebody's Knocking" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Get It Up" (with Average White Band) |
1977 | — | 21 | — | — | — | — | — | 39 | — | — | |
"A Star in the Ghetto" (with Average White Band) |
— | 25 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Tippin" | 1978 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"Spoiled" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Music Trance" | 1980 | — | 29 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"Street Tough" | 1981 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"Souvenirs of Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"Save the Last Dance for Me" (re-recording) |
1987 | — | — | — | — | 60 | — | — | — | — | 69 | |
"What's Important to Me" | 1991 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"You've Got All of Me" | 1992 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
"You Still Move Me" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |
References
- ^ "King, Ben E." Veromi. Retrieved March 5, 2010.
- ^ ISBN 1-84195-017-3.
- ^ "The Drifters | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame". www.rockhall.com. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "500 Songs That Shaped Rock".
- ^ "Ben E. King and The Drifters – The Vocal Group Hall of Fame". Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "Ben E. King | Songwriters Hall of Fame". www.songhall.org. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
- ^ "'Stand By Me' singer Ben E. King dies at age 76". PIX11 News. May 1, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ a b c Grimes, William (May 1, 2015). "Ben E. King, Soulful Singer, Dies at 76; 'Stand by Me' Was One of His Hits". The New York Times. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ Jones, Soul (June 1, 2011). "Soul Jones Words: Play It Again, Ben - Ben E. King Interview". Souljoneswords.blogspot.co.uk. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
- ^ Goldberg, Marv. "Marv Goldberg's R&B Notebooks: The Later Drifters". Retrieved October 24, 2013.
- ^ Fontenot, Robert. "The Life and Times of Ben E. King". About.com. Archived from the original on April 4, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ a b "Ben E King: R&B legend dies at 76". BBC News. May 1, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ "Experience The Music: One Hit Wonders and the Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ "Ben E. King, 'Stand By Me' Singer and Member of the Drifters, Dies at 76". Variety. May 1, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ Farber, Jim (May 1, 2015). "Ben E. King, soul legend who sang 'Stand By Me,' dead at 76". The New York Daily News. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ "BEN E. KING (1938-2015)". blackpast.org. November 25, 2018.
- ^ Casey Kasem, "American Top 40", January 17, 1987.
- ^ "Ben E. King". Beneking.info. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
- ^ "The Drifters Biography". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ "Ben E. King, soul legend and singer of 'Stand By Me', dead at 76". Associated Press. May 1, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ "The Sopranos: Peppers & Eggs (Music From the HBO Original Series)". AllMusic. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ "2009 Inductees". North Carolina Music Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
- ^ "Stand By Me Named Towering Song, Ben E. King Towering Performance, Lance Freed Abe Olman Publisher". SongHall. March 27, 2012. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
- ^ "The Ben E. King Stand By Me Foundation". Benekingstandbyme.org. August 11, 2011. Retrieved April 19, 2014.
- The Record (Bergen County), May 10, 2008. Accessed March 1, 2009.
- ^ Wloszczyna, Suan (November 11, 2008). "Comics toast Carlin at Mark Twain ceremony". USA Today. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ Strang, Fay (May 1, 2015). "Ben E King dead: Stand By Me singer dies aged 76". Mirror. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ a b Furness, Hannah (May 1, 2015). "Stand By Me singer Ben E King dies at 76". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ^ "R&B legend Ben E King dies at 76". BBC. May 1, 2015. Retrieved May 1, 2015.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
- ^ Fernandez, Maritza (November 25, 2018). "BEN E. KING (1938-2015)". BlackPast.org. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
- ^ Bret, David (2014). Brit Girls of the Sixties: Kathy Kirby + Dusty Springfield + Cilla Black + Helen Shapiro + Marianne Faithfull + Sandie Shaw + Lulu. Lulu Press.
- ^ Lewis, Dave (2012). From A Whisper to A Scream: The Complete Guide to the Music of Led Zeppelin. Music Sales Group.
- ^ a b c "Ben E. King Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
- ^ "Benny And Us charting: Billboard 200 Week of September 10, 1977". Billboard. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Ben E. King Chart History: Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums". Billboard. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Ben E. King". Official Charts. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
- ^ a b "Discographie Von Ben E. King". Offizielle Deutsche Charts (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved July 27, 2021.
- ^ a b "Discographie Ben E. King". Swiss Hitparade (in German). Retrieved July 27, 2021.
- ^ Billboard Hot 100 positions for the Drifters' singles:
- "There Goes My Baby": "Billboard Hot 100 Week of August 17, 1959". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- "Dance with me": "Billboard Hot 100 Week of November 30, 1959". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- "This Magic Moment": "Billboard Hot 100 Week of March 28, 1960". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- "Lonely Winds": "Billboard Hot 100 Week of July 4, 1960". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- "Save the Last Dance for Me": "Billboard Hot 100 Week of November 7, 1960". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- "I Count the Tears": "Billboard Hot 100 Week of February 6, 1961". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs positions for the Drifters' singles:
- "There Goes My Baby": "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Week of July 27, 1959". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- "Dance with Me": "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Week of November 23, 1959". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- "Save the Last Dance for Me": "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Week of October 31, 1960". Billboard. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "The Drifters - Save The Last Dance For Me". Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Drifters". Official Charts. The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Ben E. King Chart History: Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Discografie Ben E. King". Ultratop Flanders (in Dutch). Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ "Discographie Ben E. King". Ultratop Wallonia (in French). Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ "Discografie Ben E. King". Dutch Charts (in Dutch). Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ "Discography Ben E. King". Norwegian Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ "Discography Ben E. King". Charts New Zealand. Hung Medien. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
- ^ "British certifications – Ben E. King – Stand by Me". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
External links
- Official website
- Ben E. King discography at Discogs