Ben E King, the soul and R&B singer whose hit Stand by Me became a torch song for generations of music fans, has died. He was 76.
He had continued touring until last year but passed away on Thursday (April 30), according to his agent.
Born Benjamin Earl Nelson in Henderson, North Carolina in 1938, King moved to Harlem, New York as a child.
He began his career in the 1950s and sang on such Drifters hits as Save the Last Dance for Me and There Goes My Baby before going solo.
Among his other hits were Spanish Harlem and Supernatural Thing, Part 1.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) ranked Stand by Me at Number 25 on its Songs of the Century list.
Earlier this year, the Library of Congress in the US added it to the National Recording Registry of songs that "are culturally, historically or aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in the United States".
