Ben E. King, Singer of 'Stand By Me,' Bergen County Resident, Dead At 76

Singer Ben E. King, songwriter “Stand By Me,” one of the most often played songs in popular music, died in his Teaneck home. He was 76.

King was born Benjamin Earl Nelson on Sept. 28, 1938 in Henderson, North Carolina. He moved to Harlem when he was 9.

Although he enjoyed a long career as an artist with The Drifters, he is most well known for ”Stand by Me” (1961), which he wrote with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The song has been covered more than 400 times and was included on the soundtrack for the 1986 coming-of-age movie of the same name. It is partially inspired by the spiritual “Lord, Stand By Me.”

Earlier this year the song was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant,” and was inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.