BEN E King, the singer whose song Stand By Me became a classic around the world, has died at the age of 76.
His publicist confirmed to The Telegraph that he died of natural causes on Thursday.
The R&B and soul singer was more than just a one-hit-wonder however, singing on hits with The Drifters, including There Goes My Baby and Save The Last Dance For Me.
King’s other hits included Spanish Harlem, Amor, Don’t Play That Song (You Lied) and Supernatural Thing — Part I.
However it is hard to write about King and not mention Stand By Me — a song which was the fourth most-played track of the 20th Century.
While
it only made the top five on the US charts when it was released in
1961, it has re-entered the charts about a dozen times since, often
covered by artists like John Lennon. It again made the charts when the
River Phoenix movie of the same name made it popular with a whole new
audience.
King was never above singing the crowd pleasing track when asked and
in 2013 pledged to play it for the rest of his life if that’s what fans
wanted.
“I’m so proud it has stood the test of time,” he said.

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