Ben E. King dead at 76

Soul icon BEN E. KING passed away on Thursday (30Apr15) at the age of 76.
The singer, best known for his huge international hit Stand By Me, died from natural causes at his home in New Jersey, but further details had not been released as WENN went to press.
King launched his career in the late 1950s, as a member of doo wop group The Drifters, and had a string of hits with the band, including There Goes My Baby and Save The Last Dance For Me, before departing in 1960 to launch his solo career.
In 1961, King released his career-defining single Stand By Me, which he co-wrote, and it reached number four in the U.S. charts.
The song was re-released in 1987 after it was featured in the 1986 River Phoenix movie of the same name, and following the re-issue, the song topped singles charts in both the U.K. and Ireland.
There are more than 400 versions of the iconic track, which was covered by an array of stars, including John Lennon in 1975.
In 1999, it was announced that Stand By Me was the fourth most-played song of the 20th Century on U.S. radio and TV, and earlier this year (15), King’s version of the track was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the U.S. Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
King continued to perform live until late in his life, completing a tour of the U.K. in 2013 and playing gigs in the U.S. last year (14).
A relative of the star first announced the news of his death on Instagram.com, writing, “RIP to our beloved cousin/family member singer/song writer Benjamin Nelson B.K.A Ben.E King. Your humbleness, love and music will forever live on. Kiss my grandma for me.”
Veteran musician Gary U.S. Bonds was one of the first to pay tribute to King, writing on Facebook.com, “With an extremely heavy heart, I must say goodbye to one of the sweetest, gentlest and gifted souls that I have had the privilege of knowing and calling my friend for more than 50 years – Mr. Ben E. King… Thank you Ben E. for your friendship and the wonderful legacy you leave behind.”