Singer/songwriter
Ben E. King is one of the best performers of the smooth soul singer set. King,
who was born Benjamin Earl Nelson in Henderson ,
North Carolina
As the
lead singer of this new incarnation of the Drifters, King lent his velvet pipes
to the hits, “There Goes My Baby,” (which he co-wrote) “Save the Last Dance for
Me,” and “This Magic Moment.”
Due to a
contract dispute with Drifters manager George Treadwell, King left the group
and embarked on a solo career in 1960. King would soon find solo success with a
number of classic hits including the Phil Spector-produced “Spanish Harlem” and
“Stand by Me.” Both of these songs are among the finest pop records made in the
decade. King would score a number of lesser hits in the early Sixties with the
songs, “Young Boy Blues,” I (Who Have Nothing),” and “Hear Comes the Night.”
King’s
classic hits can be found on the compilations, “Stand By Me-The Best of Ben E.
King and Ben E, King and the Drifters” (1986), “Stand By Me (The Ultimate
Collection” (1987), and “Anthology” (1993).
