"Stand by Me" Singer Ben E. King Dead at 76

R&B and soul singer Ben E. King, best known for the classic “Stand by Me,” has died at 76, his publicist told NBC News.

King's publicist, Phil Brown, confirmed the death, but did not immediately provide any other details.

The singer's first solo hit was the 1961 ballad "Spanish Harlem," according to The Associated Press. King had a string of others throughout the '60s and '70s, but none ever gained the enduring popularity of "Stand by Me," also recorded in 1961 and chosen last month for preservation by the Library of Congress.
King was born Benjamin Earl Nelson in Henderson, North Carolina, in 1938. He moved to Harlem at the age of nine, and joined a doo-wop group as a young man that eventually became The Drifters, NBC News reported.

RIP brother . My all time favorite singer .

R.I.P. ....all the guys bidding farewell !!

one of the real ones.  RIP Benney!

Quote:"Stand by Me," also recorded in 1961 and chosen last month for preservation by the Library of Congress.