Benjamin Earl King was born on 28 September 1938, in Henderson, North Carolina USA, and was a singer and record producer, best known for being the co-composer and singer of the hit “Stand By Me”. He was also one of the lead singers of the vocal group the Drifters and all of his efforts have helped put his net worth to where it was prior to his passing in 2015.
How rich was Ben E. King? As of late-2016, sources inform us of a net worth that is at $10 million, mostly earned through a successful career in the music industry, including helping to create the hit single “Save the Last Dance for Me”. All of his achievements ensured the position of his wealth.
Ben E. King Net Worth $10 million
King started singing when he joined church choirs, and later in high school would form a doo-wop group called the Four B’s. In 1958, he joined a doo-wop group called the Five Crowns, and this group would later become The Drifters after the original Drifters were fired. Ben would help create the song “There Goes My Baby”, and would also create numerous hits with the group for Atlantic Records. Other releases they made include “This Magic Moment” and “I Count the Tears”. After recording 13 songs with the Drifters, he had a contract dispute with their manager which led to him performing less with the group, but his net worth was assured.
He officially left the group in 1960, and would start a solo career under the name Ben E. King. He remained with Atlanta records, and created his first solo hit with the 1961 song “Spanish Harlem”. His next single would be “Stand By Me”, which would eventually become one of the Songs of the Century. Other hits he produced include “Young Boy Blues”, “Don’t Play That Song (You Lied)” and “Amor”. His songs continued reach the Billboard Hot 100 charts until 1965, when British pop bands started todominate. He still made several R&B hits during this time, and the song “Stand By Me” would be re-issued for the film of the same name in the late 1980s.
In 1990, King would record a revamped version of the song “Book of Love”, along with Bo Diddley and Doug Lazy. He also released a children’s album entitled “I Have Songs in My Pocket” in 1998, which would win several awards, and later on he would also perform “Stand By Me” on “The Late Show with David Letterman”. Ben would eventually be inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame as a Drifter, and he was also inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009. The following year, he performed “Stand By Me” on the Latin Grammys, and it also received the 2012 Towering Song Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He would go on tour from 2013 to 2014.
For his personal life, it is known that King passed away in May 2015 having been suffering coronary problems prior to his death. He is survived by his wife Betty(m. 1964), three childre, and six grandchildren.
