jakeem Posted May 1, 2015 Share Posted May 1, 2015 Singer Ben E. King, whose song "Stand By Me" inspired the title of Rob Reiner's hit 1986 film about a memorable boyhood adventure, has died at the age of 76. He was a member of The Drifters from 1958 to 1960. http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/05/01/ben-e-king-dies-76-stand-by-me/26694079/ King co-wrote "Stand By Me" with the great songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The song was a chart hit twice -- in 1961, when it originally was released, and in 1986, thanks to the movie. Reiner's film, based on the 1982 Stephen King short story "The Body," starred Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell. They played boyhood friends who head out on an adventure during Labor Day weekend in 1959. Co-starring in the movie were Kiefer Sutherland and John Cusack. Richard Dreyfuss was the narrator and appeared as one of the lead characters as an adult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Aw, man.....too bad. Seems like a lot of the people who provided the "soundtrack of my life" are leaving at a regular pace. His "Stand By Me" has long been high on the list of my life's favorites. RIP, Ben. Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted May 2, 2015 Author Share Posted May 2, 2015 I've always liked Billy Joel's 1983 album "An Innocent Man," in which he paid tribute to some of his musical influences and styles. The song "Uptown Girl" was a salute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (I thought it WAS Frankie Valli the first time I heard it). "Tell Her About It" was a catchy tune done in the Motown tradition. And "The Longest Time" was a throwback to the doo_wop singers of the 1950s. But the title song of the album was an homage to Ben E. King and the Drifters: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Singer Ben E. King, whose song "Stand By Me" inspired the title of Rob Reiner's hit 1986 film about a memorable boyhood adventure, has died at the age of 76. He was a member of The Drifters from 1958 to 1960. http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/05/01/ben-e-king-dies-76-stand-by-me/26694079/ King co-wrote "Stand By Me" with the great songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The song was a chart hit twice -- in 1961, when it originally was released, and in 1986, thanks to the movie. Reiner's film, based on the 1982 Stephen King short story "The Body," starred Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman and Jerry O'Connell. They played boyhood friends who head out on an adventure during Labor Day weekend in 1959. Co-starring in the movie were Kiefer Sutherland and John Cusack. Richard Dreyfuss was the narrator and appeared as one of the lead characters as an adult. ...and the Drifters' lead singer for arguably their most significant recordings, including the landmark "There Goes My Baby". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepiatone Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 I might argue that "Save The Last Dance for Me" was more of a landmark, but since BOTH tunes are very good, it really doesn't matter! Sepiatone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownGoesFrazier Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 I might argue that "Save The Last Dance for Me" was more of a landmark, but since BOTH tunes are very good, it really doesn't matter! Sepiatone "There Goes My Baby" was the first rock and roll song to use strings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted May 2, 2015 Author Share Posted May 2, 2015 "There Goes My Baby" was the first rock and roll song to use strings. I would have guessed "True Love Ways" by Buddy Holly, but it wasn't released until more than a year after his death on February 3, 1959. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeem Posted May 4, 2015 Author Share Posted May 4, 2015 Aw, man.....too bad. Seems like a lot of the people who provided the "soundtrack of my life" are leaving at a regular pace. It apparently is going to get worse very soon. There have been reports that the health of blues great B.B. King (no relation to Ben E.) is deteriorating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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