The man behind one of the most famous songs, well, ever, has sadly passed away. Ben E. King died at age 76 on Thursday, April 30. The singer is best known for his hit "Stand By Me" which he sang and co-composed. King's publicist spoke to The Telegraph and reports that King died of natural causes.
While he is most well known for "Stand By Me," King was also a member of popular R&B group, The Drifters from 1958 to 1960, and had hits with them including, "Save The Last Dance For Me" and "This Magic Moment." As a solo artist, "Stand By Me" became a hit in 1961 and King also had success with "Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" and "Spanish Harlem."
As The Telegraph reports, King had not been reported to be suffering from any illnesses recently and went on tour as recently as 2013 in the UK. He also played shows in the US in 2014.
King was honored for his talent many times over the course of his career. In 1998, King was inducted in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. According to Variety, "'Stand By Me,' 'Spanish Harlem' and the Drifters’ 'There Goes My Baby' were called three of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll." And in March 2015, "Stand By Me" was inducted into the National Recording Registry.