Ben E. King

Ben E.king，1938年9月28日出生於北卡羅來納州亨德森市，9歲的時候搬到了紐約的Harlem（也可音譯為“哈林區”或者“哈萊姆區”）。作為來自北卡羅來納州的黑人歌手班伊金，高中時代就進入歌壇，後來參加一支五人團體“The Five Crowns”，由他擔任主唱 ，同時也負責譜寫某些歌曲。

1959年，該團取代了原先早在1953年就已經成立的“The Drifters”，成為新的“The Drifters”合唱團，並且隨即以《There Goes My Baby》和《Save the Last Dance for Me》轟動歌壇。

1960 年五月，班伊金決定展開個人生涯，宣告退出。

獨立之後的班伊金，首先以秉持着 “The Drifters”合唱團拉丁色彩和品質的 《Spanish Harlem 》受到了肯定，接着就推出了讓他揚名立萬《Stand By Me》。 這首歌其實是根據靈歌《 Lord Stand By Me 》加以改編而重新創作的，獲得了全美排行的第四名。這同時也是他個人生涯成績最好的一首單曲。

到了1960年代的末期，他就逐漸跟主流市場越行越遠了。但是，命運之神並沒有讓他就此被遺忘。

1986年，由於電影《伴我同行》採用了他的這首舊作當作同名的主題歌，使得他再度的受到了注意，甚至還因而奪下了英國排行的冠軍。

自20世紀60年代後期，他一直居住於新澤西州蒂內克市；

目前，他活躍於基金慈善會活動。

在2010年11月11日，他在拉丁格萊美獎上與Prince Royce演唱了《Stand By Me》。

在2013年，他仍然活躍，完成英國之旅。

Spanish Harlem (1961, Atco) US: #57 UK: #30

Ben E. King Sings for Soulful Lovers (1962)

Don't Play That Song! (1962)

Young Boy Blues (1964)

Ben E. King's Greatest Hits (1964)

Seven Letters (1965)

What Is Soul (1967) (not issued in the U.S.)

Rough Edges (1970, Maxwell)

The Beginning of It All (1972, Mandala)

Supernatural (1975, Atlantic) US: #39

I Had a Love (1976)

Rhapsody (1976)

Let Me Live in Your Life (1978)

Music Trance (1980)

Street Tough (1980)

Save the Last Dance for Me (1987, EMI-Manhattan)

Stand by Me: The Ultimate Collection (1987, Atlantic) UK: #14

What's Important to Me (1991, Ichiban)

Anthology (1993, Rhino)

Shades of Blue (1993, Half Note)

I Have Songs in My Pocket (1998, Bobby Susser)

The Very Best of Ben E. King (1998, Rhino) UK: #15

Eleven Best (2001, Cleopatra)

Person To Person: Live At The Blue Note (2003, Half Note)

Soul Masters (2005, Digital Music Group)

I've Been Around (2006, True Life)

Love Is Gonna Get You (2007, Synergy)

Heart & Soul (2010–2011, CanAm Records)

Benny and Us (1977) US: #33 (Average White Band & Ben E. King)

The Atlantic Family Live in Montreux (1977) (A recording involving the Average White Band and other artists)

Soul Meeting (1968) (as a member of the Soul Clan)

[edit]Singles with The Drifters

"There Goes My Baby" (1959) R&B: #1 US: #2

"Oh My Love" (1959)

"Dance With Me" (1959) R&B: #2 US: #15 UK: #17

"This Magic Moment" (1960) R&B: #4 US: #16

"Lonely Winds" (1960) R&B: #9 US: #54

"Save The Last Dance For Me" (1960) R&B: #1 US: #1 UK: #2

"Nobody But Me" (1960)

"I Count the Tears" (1960) US: #17 UK: #28

"Sometimes I Wonder" (1962)

"Brace Yourself" (1960, Atco)

"Show Me the Way" (1960, Atco)

"A Help Each Other" (1960, Atlantic) with Lavern Baker

"How Often" (1960, Atlantic) with Lavern Baker

"Spanish Harlem" (1961, Atco) R&B: #15 US: #10

"First Taste of Love" (1961) US: #53 UK: #27 (b-side of "Spanish Harlem")

"Stand by Me" (1961) R&B: #1 US: #4 UK: #27

"Amor" (1961) R&B: #10 US: #18 UK: #38

"Young Boy Blues" (1961) US: #66

"Here Comes the Night" (1961) US: #81 (b-side of "Young Boy Blues")

"Ecstasy" (1962) US: #56

"Don't Play That Song (You Lied)" (1962) R&B: #2 US: #11

"Auf Wiedersehen, My Dear" (1962)

"Too Bad" (1962) US: #88

"I'm Standing By" (1962) US:#111

"Tell Daddy" (1962) US:#122 R&B: #29

"How Can I Forget" (1963) R&B: #23 US: #85

"I (Who Have Nothing)" (1963) R&B: #16 US: #29

"I Could Have Danced All Night" (1963) US: #72

"What Now My Love" US:#102 (1964)

"That's When It Hurts" (1964)

"What Can A Man Do" (1964) US:#113

"It's All Over" (1964) US: #72

"Around The Corner" (1964) US:#125

"Seven Letters" (1965) R&B: #11 US: #45

"The Record (Baby I Love You)" (1965) Pop: #84 R&B: #24

"She's Gone Again" (1965) US: #128

"Cry No More" (1965)

"Goodnight My Love" (1965) US: #91

"So Much Love" (1966) US: #96

"Get In a Hurry" (1966)

"I Swear By Stars Above" (1966) R&B: #35 (b-side of "Get in a Hurry")

"They Don't Give Medals to Yesterday's Heroes" (1966)

"What Is Soul?" (1966) R&B: #38 (b-side of "They Don't Give...")

"A Man Without a Dream" (1967)

"Tears, Tears, Tears" (1967) R&B: #34 US: #93 (b-side of "A Man Without...")

"Katherine" (1967)

"Don't Take Your Sweet Love Away" (1967) R&B: #44

"We Got a Thing Goin' On" (1968) with Dee Dee Sharp US: #127

"Don't Take Your Love from Me" (1968) US: #117

"Where's the Girl" (1968)

"It Ain't Fair" (1968)

"Til' I Can't Take It Anymore" US: #134

"Hey Little One" (1969)

"I Can't Take It Like a Man" (1970, Maxwell)

"Take Me to the Pilot" (1972, Mandala)

"Into the Mystic" (1972)

"Spread Myself Around" (1973)

"Supernatural Thing, Part 1" (1975, Atlantic) R&B: #1 US: #5

"Do It in the Name of Love" (1975) R&B: #4 US: #60

"We Got Love" (1975)

"I Had a Love" (1975) R&B: #23 (b-side of "We Got Love")

"I Betcha you Didn't Know" (1976)

"Get It Up" (1977) with Average White Band

"A Star in the Ghetto" (1977) R&B: #25 with Average White Band

"Fool for You Anyway" (1977) with Average White Band

"I See the Light" (1978)

"Fly Away to My Wonderland" (1978)

"Music Trance" (1979) R&B: #29

"Street Tough" (1981)

"You Made the Difference in My Life" (1981)

"Stand By Me [re-issue]" (1986) US: #9 UK: #1

"Spanish Harlem [re-issue]" (1987)

"Save the Last Dance for Me" [re-recorded] (1987, EMI-Manhattan) UK: #69

"What's Important to Me" (1991, Ichiban)

"You've Got All of Me" (1992)

"You Still Move Me" (1992)

"4th of July" (1997, Right Stuff) ^[1] 

本·E·金是後搖滾樂黑人音樂時期最佳民歌手之一。

"Lovingly produced and expertly performed, it deserves to be heralded, and heard."

- JazzTimes

"King's vocals front and center, and he responds with warmly intimate performances that fairly ooze romance."

-Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"Sometimes magic just happens!"

- Heart & Soul co-producer Lanny Williamson

"Magnificent performances...No wonder they call you 'A Legend'."

- Heart & Soul co-producer Linda Nash ^[1]