Soul Great Ben E. King Has Died at Age 76

Renowned soul and R&B singer Ben E. King, has passed away at the age of 76. According to a report furnished by The Telegraph, singer best known for the iconic song "Stand By Me," died from natural causes on Thursday.

King emerged in the 1950's as a member of the The Drifters, lending his powerful vocals as lead on classics such as "There Goes My Baby," Save The Last Dance," and "This Magic Moment. The Drifters would go on to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inn 1988.

Due to a contractual disagreement, King would leave the The Drifters at the top of the 1960's— striking out on his own and hitting it big. His first top ten hit would come in the form of the memorable ballad, "Spanish Harlem." But it would be the massively successful "Stand By Me" that would become his trademark tune, and a timeless classic.

Through the years "Stand By Me" has stood the test of time thanks to the classic '80s flick "Stand By Me," which starred a chubby, baby faced Jerry O'Connell, and the late River Phoenix. In 2007 the song was sampled by Sean Kingston for his hit debut single; "Beautiful Girls." Even John Lennon released a rendition of the song on the 1974 album, Rock & Roll .

King would continue to tour the world and release new music up until the time of his death. His last album Heart & Soul was released in 2010, almost 50 years after the release of "Stand By Me."