There aren’t enough “O’s” in smooth to describe the voice of Ben E. King.

He was born Benjamin Earl King in North Carolina. During his brief time with The Drifters (1958-1960), he sang on only about a dozen songs – but what songs they were.

He sang lead several of their hits, including There Goes My Baby (1959), Save the Last Dance for Me (1960), This Magic Moment (1960) and I Count the Tears (1960).

King left The Drifters in the spring of 1960 over a dispute over a song that he wrote. While the group loved the song and began rehearsing it, their producer at the time didn’t think they could use. That song was Stand By Me. It was a #1 song on both Billboard’s Soul Chart (1961) and Canada’s National RPM Chart (1986). It was also a #4 on Billboard’s Pop Chart in 1986.

I had the honour to interview King back in 2010. He was on a promotional tour for what would turn out to be his last album, Heart and Soul, which featured jazz versions of some pop standards. It was recorded in Calgary, Alberta.

The interview covered his time with The Drifters, being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, his solo work, the importance of giving back to your community, and what makes good music, and, of course, North Carolina BBQ – a favourite topic of both of us.

Enjoy!

Copyright Peter J. Maurin, The Vinyl Professor. Published under Creative Commons License: Attribution/Non-Commercial Use.