Posted on 05/01/2015 11:48:43 AM PDT by yuffy
NEW YORK (AP) Ben E. King, the unforgettable lead singer for the Drifters and solo star whose plaintive baritone graced such pop and rhythm n blues classics as Stand by Me, There Goes My Baby and Spanish Harlem, has died. He was 76.
King died Thursday of natural causes in Teaneck, New Jersey, his longtime residence, publicist Phil Brown told The Associated Press on Friday.
A native of North Carolina who moved to New York City as a boy, King was singing with the Five Crowns when they were hired in 1958 to become the new incarnation of the Drifters, a top act for Atlantic Records who had several doo-wop hits featuring tenor Clyde McPhatter. The new Drifters, their records among the first in the rock era to use strings, had a more polished production and vocal style and became key influences on numerous 60s recordings.
King co-wrote and sang lead on There Goes My Baby, and he and the Drifters followed with such favorites as Save the Last Dance for Me and This Magic Moment, romantic and emotional ballads mostly written by the team of Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman.
(Excerpt) Read more at wtop.com ...
I saw Ben E. King perform in Washington, DC in 1979 and Leiber & Stoller in Los Angeles some years later when they appeared on stage at the conclusion of Smokey Joe's Cafe, a musical revue featuring their songs.
RIP, Ben E. King. Thank you for your gifts.
He was the “voice” of the drifters. Chances are that if you
remember hearing the Drifters, you heard him as the lead voice.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.