American R&B Singer and Songwriter. Born Benjamin Earl Nelson, he first found success as an original member of the Drifters, the doo-wop group famous for such hits as "Save the Last Dance for Me", "This Magic Moment" and "There Goes My Baby", before leaving the group in 1960 over a contract dispute. He changed his last name to King and launched a solo career, scoring a hit with 1961's "Spanish Harlem" followed by "Stand By Me", which he co-wrote with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, went on to become a top 10 hit that same year. Between 1959 and 1986, he earned 12 Top 10 hits and continued to record off and on through the 1990s. In 1986, "Stand By Me" returned to the charts 25 years later when it was prominently featured in "Stand By Me", Rob Reiner's coming-of-age movie about four adolescent boys. The song has been covered hundreds of times and the Recording Industry Association of America voted it one of the 25 top songs of the 20th century. In March 2015, the Library of Congress inducted King's original version into the National Recording Registry. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 as a Drifter and has also been nominated as a solo artist. King, who was active in his charitable foundation, the Stand By Me Foundation which provides education to deserving youths, died of heart related illnesses.

American R&B Singer and Songwriter. Born Benjamin Earl Nelson, he first found success as an original member of the Drifters, the doo-wop group famous for such hits as "Save the Last Dance for Me", "This Magic Moment" and "There Goes My Baby", before leaving the group in 1960 over a contract dispute. He changed his last name to King and launched a solo career, scoring a hit with 1961's "Spanish Harlem" followed by "Stand By Me", which he co-wrote with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, went on to become a top 10 hit that same year. Between 1959 and 1986, he earned 12 Top 10 hits and continued to record off and on through the 1990s. In 1986, "Stand By Me" returned to the charts 25 years later when it was prominently featured in "Stand By Me", Rob Reiner's coming-of-age movie about four adolescent boys. The song has been covered hundreds of times and the Recording Industry Association of America voted it one of the 25 top songs of the 20th century. In March 2015, the Library of Congress inducted King's original version into the National Recording Registry. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 as a Drifter and has also been nominated as a solo artist. King, who was active in his charitable foundation, the Stand By Me Foundation which provides education to deserving youths, died of heart related illnesses.

Bio by: Louis du Mort