‘Stand By Me’ R&B legend Ben E. King dead at 76

WASHINGTON — He was known for his 1961 R&B hit “Stand By Me.”

Now, legendary musician Ben E. King has died at age 76, as first reported by the BBC and now confirmed by CBS.

King began with the 1950s group The Drifters, before turning solo with the hit “Stand By Me.”

The song regained popularity after Rob Reiner’s 1986 film by the same name, based on the short story “The Body” by Stephen King and starring a young River Phoenix.

Jason Fraley

Hailed by The Washington Post for “his savantlike ability to name every Best Picture winner in history," Jason Fraley began at WTOP as Morning Drive Writer in 2008, film critic in 2011 and Entertainment Editor in 2014, providing daily arts coverage on-air and online.

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