How did Ben E King die?
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee with the Drifters passes away from natural causes Ben E. King, the legendary soul singer best known for his classic “Stand by Me,” died Thursday of natural causes. He was 76.
What is Ben E King famous for?
Ben E. King. Benjamin Earl King (born Benjamin Earl Nelson, September 28, 1938 – April 30, 2015), known as Ben E. King, was an American soul and R&B singer and record producer. He was perhaps best known as the singer and co-composer of " Stand by Me"— a US Top 10 hit, both in 1961 and later in 1986...
How old is Benjamin King?
Benjamin Earl King ( né Nelson; September 28, 1938 – April 30, 2015) was an American soul and R&B singer and record producer.
What is Ben King's real name?
Ben E. King. Benjamin Earl King (born Benjamin Earl Nelson, September 28, 1938 – April 30, 2015), known as Ben E. King, was an American soul and R&B singer and record producer.
Where is Ben E King today?
Following a brief illness, he died at Hackensack University Medical Center on April 30, 2015, at the age of 76.
What was Ben E King's real name?
Benjamin Earl NelsonBen E. King / Full nameBorn Benjamin Earl Nelson on September 28, 1938 in Henderson, North Carolina, he and his family moved to Harlem, New York when he was nine years old.
Is Ben E King the same person as BB King?
King with the Blues artist known as BB King. Ben E. King, the artist best known for his his song, “Stand By Me” died from natural causes on Thursday. He was 76-years-old.
What was Ben E King known for?
R&B and soul singer Ben E King, best known for the classic song Stand By Me, has died at the age of 76. King started his career in the late 1950s with The Drifters, singing hits including There Goes My Baby and Save The Last Dance For Me. After going solo, he hit the US top five with Stand By Me in 1961.
Is Benny King alive?
April 30, 2015Ben E. King / Date of death
Was Ben E King married?
Betty KingBen E. King / Spouse (m. 1964–2015)He is survived by his mother, Jenny Nelson; his wife, Betty King; two daughters, Terris Cannon and Angela Matos; a son, Benjamin Jr.; four sisters, Joyce Powell, Gladys Johnson, Deborah Nelson and Stacy Nelson; three brothers, Jeffrey, Calvin and Billy; and six grandchildren.
Who is B.B. King's wife?
Sue Carol Hallm. 1958–1966Martha Lee Dentonm. 1946–1952B.B. King/WifeKing was married twice, to Martha Lee Denton, November 1946 to 1952, and to Sue Carol Hall, 1958 to 1966. The failure of both marriages has been attributed to the heavy demands made by King's 250 performances a year. It is reported that he fathered 15 children with several women.
Why did BB leave home for Memphis?
King, Birkett and three others form St. John's Gospel Singers. King is inducted into the U.S. Army, but discharged after basic training when classified as essential to war economy, based on his skills as a tractor driver. Flees to Memphis after damaging his tractor, leaving Martha alone and a crop in the ground.
How old is Buddyman now?
85 years (July 30, 1936)Buddy Guy / Age
Is Ben E King in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a Drifter in 1988 and has also been nominated as a solo artist.
How old is Clyde Mcfadden?
39 years (1932–1972)Clyde McPhatter / Age at death
How many of the original Drifters are still alive?
Bill Pinkney, the last survivor of the original members of the The Drifters, died yesterday (July 4). He was 81.
How many songs did Ben E King have?
image copyright. Getty Images. image caption. Ben E King had six songs in the US Billboard top 40 between 1961 and 1975.
Who turned down Stand By Me?
In 2011, King explained how The Drifters turned down Stand By Me. Fellow musician Gary US Bonds wrote on Facebook that King was "one of the sweetest, gentlest and gifted souls that I have had the privilege of knowing and calling my friend for more than 50 years".
Where was Ben E King born?
Ben E King and Mike Stoller: how we made Stand By Me. Read more. He was born Benjamin Earl Nelson in Henderson, North Carolina, and moved to New York with his family at the age of nine, part of the migration of black workers from the southern states to the more prosperous cities of the industrialised north.
What was Ben E King's voice?
His distinctive voice, shaped by the fervour of black church music but capable of a suavely seductive romanticism, was heard on such hits as Spanish Harlem and Stand By Me.
How old was Ben King when he died?
On April 30, 2015 after falling ill from an unidentified sickness, Ben E. King passed away at 76 years of age in New Jersey ’s Hackensack University Medical Center. He was survived by his mother, Jenny Nelson, his wife of fifty years, Betty Nelson, his three children, Terris Cannon, Benjamin King Jr., and Angela Matos, ...
What was Ben King's first solo hit?
King however remained with Atlantic Records, recorded his first solo hit, “Spanish Harlem,” in 1960, which hit the Top Ten on the R&B and pop charts.
How old was Ben Nelson when he joined the Five Crowns?
In 1956, 18 year-old Ben joined another doo-wop band called the Five Crowns after being spotted by local talent manager Lover Patterson. As long as it didn’t interfere with helping at the restaurant, Ben Nelson was free to join in and have fun.
Overview
Early life
Ben E. King was born Benjamin Earl Nelson on September 28, 1938, in Henderson, North Carolina, and moved to Harlem, New York, at the age of nine in 1947. King 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.
Career
In 1958, King (still using his birth name) joined a doo-wop group called the Five Crowns. 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.
King had a string of R&B hits with the group on Atlantic Records. He co-wrote a…
Later life
King was active in his charitable foundation, the Stand By Me Foundation, which helps to provide education to deserving youths. He was a resident of Teaneck, New Jersey, from the late 1960s onwards.
King performed "Stand By Me" during a televised tribute to late comedian George Carlin, as he was one of Carlin's favorite artists.
Death
Following a brief illness, he died at Hackensack University Medical Center on April 30, 2015, at the age of 76.
Legacy
King has been covered by acts from several genres. "So Much Love" was recorded by Dusty Springfield and many others. "I (Who Have Nothing)" was performed by Shirley Bassey in 1963 and also by Tom Jones in 1970, as well as a 1979 recording by Sylvester. "Till I Can't Take It Anymore" was revisited by peer Ray Charles in 1970 and "Spanish Harlem" was sung by Aretha Franklin in 1971. "Stand by Me" was covered by The Righteous Brothers, Otis Redding, John Lennon, Mickey …
External links
• Official website