Ben E. King – the soul singer best known for his iconic hit "Stand By Me" – has passed away. King was 76 years old.
After starting his career with R&B group The Drifters in the late ’50s, King went solo in 1961 and scored a hit with his signature song shortly thereafter.
Though success with other solo songs would elude King throughout his career, "Stand By Me" is now considered an indispensable standard, and is believed by many to be among the greatest pop songs of all time.
The song was an instant success upon its initial release, and it charted again in 1986 following the release of the film of the same name. In 2007, it was sampled for the Sean Kingston hit "Beautiful Girls."
During his time with The Drifters, King sang on hits such as "This Magic Moment" and "Save the Last Dance For Me," but it was the success of "Stand By Me" (which King also co-wrote) that would define his career.
The details of King’s death are unknown, but he had reportedly been suffering from a heart ailment in his final months,
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