Iconic Songwriters Leiber and Stoller, Creators of American Classics Including "Hound Dog," "Stand By Me" and "Jailhouse Rock" to Perform a Book Signing at the City of West Hollywood's Eighth Annual Book Fair on Sunday, October 4, 2009 Oct 3, 2009
Perhaps more than any other songwriters of their generation, Leiber and Stoller were among the most influential, shaping Americas musical landscape along with iconic artists such as Elvis, Ray Charles, Ben E. King, The Coasters, The Clovers and many others. Before their 20th birthdays, Leiber and Stoller had their first success with a song called Hard Times that became an Rin 1952. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
‘Hound Dog’ documents Lieber and Stoller’s rise to greatness Sep 30, 2009
They alienated Parker by trying to pitch a song to Presley directly, and feuded with Atlantic Records cofounder Jerry Wexler, who didn t like their overpriced production on the Drifters There Goes My Baby (which then shot to number one, shutting him up in a hurry) or the overtime charges racked up on Ben E. King s Spanish Harlem, which they wrote to show their versatility. They also took fledgling producer Phil Spector under their wing, but Leiber says Spector was an annoying presence. (Boston Globe)
Celebrity birthdays for Sept. 27-Oct. 3 Sep 24, 2009
Singer Ben E. King is 71. Actor Joel Higgins ("Silver Spoons") is 66. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
TRUMPETS & TREATS: Hydrick Gass serves up tunes Sep 13, 2009
I went on the road with Ben E. King for two years during the time he had a hit record, 'Supernatural Thing,'" he said. "I was playing trumpet and piano in his band. During that time, I became a side man playing with other artists, and I made connections with a lot of performers on that label. (Orangeburg Times and Democrat, SC)
‘Playing for Change’ becomes multimedia movement Aug 7, 2009
Johnson was impressed and embarked on a four-year journey to record street musicians around the world singing the same songs - including Ben E. King s Stand by Me and Bob Marley s War - to demonstrate how the power of music transcends language and culture. The recordings and video were stitched together into mash-ups and have become huge viral sensations, with Stand By Me alone boasting 35 million viewings on the Web. (Boston Globe)
Danny Gokey Just Has To 'Get The Twang Right' For Country Career Jul 18, 2009
Country might seem like an odd fit for Gokey, who won over legions of fans on "Idol" with his husky voice and soulful takes on Michael Jackson, Seal and Ben E. King, but he was quick to point out that he performed an Underwood song on the show and has been working some Rascal Flatts tunes into his Idols Live. set. (VHI.com -- Music News)
Viral success of 'Stand' video fuels CD success Jun 18, 2009
The album's lead single, a remake of a Ben E. King classic, starts out with the soulful, raspy voice of singer Roger Ridley, playing his acoustic guitar in the streets Santa Monica, Calif. then segues into the voice another street performer, Grandpa Elliott, in New Orleans. (Jefferson City News Tribune, MO)
'American Idol' Recap: Scott MacIntyre's 'Search' Is Over Apr 10, 2009
" That was followed by the the weekly group number. The remaining eight contestants performed Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head," which came out the year the American version of "Idol" was born, 2002. was the first to stand up, and for the first time, his fate could have been put in jeopardy when Tuesday's show went nearly eight minutes over, causing many viewers who recorded the show to miss his . He was joined by Kris Allen and Anoop Desai. Lambert wasn't standing long, though,... (VHI.com -- Music News)
American Idol Recap Top 8 Apr 8, 2009
Danny Gokey: Stand By Me by Ben E. King (performed by Mickey Gilley in 1980). Danny did a kind of quasi-disco 80 s version of Mickey Gilley s version of the Ben E. King classic. (Suite101.com)
Idols are divas Mar 16, 2009
Daniel Baron (17) from Johannesburg showed off old-school style with the Ben E. King rifters standard, 'Save the Last Dance for Me. Dave seemed to struggle to put into words why he was impressed. (iAfrica.com)
Is Phoebe As White As Snow? Feb 12, 2009
Her decision comes after New Jersey's (201) magazine feted the singer as one of Bergen County's "black music-industry greats" along with Stevie Wonder, George Benson, Ben E. King, the Isley Brothers and Diddy. "I was peeing in my pants laughing. I was like, this is fantastic, to be in such great company," said Snow, who had a smash hit with "Poetry Man" in 1974. (New York Post -- Gossip)
