Happy Birthday to the late, great Ben E. King!

Happy birthday to the late, great Ben E. King, born September 28, 1938.

Both as a member of the legendary Drifters and as a solo artist, Ben E. King established himself as a living legend. His seminal song, "Stand By Me," is considered by some the finest soul music song ever. But his career included much more, and he stood as one of the most influential singers of the 20th Century. He bridged the doo wop era of the 1950s and early 60s with the development of sophisticated soul music that emerged thereafter, becoming one of its most important and revered artists.

His music continues to resonate now as it did a half century or more ago.