Ben E. King Quotes

Powerful Ben E. King for Daily Growth

About Ben E. King

Ben E. King (September 28, 1938 – April 30, 2015) was an influential American singer-songwriter, most renowned for his soulful voice and numerous hits in the realm of R&B and pop music. Born Benjamin Earl Nelson in Henderson, North Carolina, he moved to Harlem, New York as a child where he would later gain fame. King's career began as a member of The Drifters, one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock 'n' roll era. He joined in 1958 and co-wrote several hits for the group, including "There Goes My Baby," "Save the Last Dance for Me," and most famously, "This Magic Moment." In 1960, King left The Drifters to pursue a solo career. His first solo single, "Spanish Harlem" (1960), became an instant success, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earning him a Grammy Award nomination. King's most enduring hit came in 1964 with "Stand by Me." Written by King, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, this timeless song has been covered by numerous artists, and its resonance continues today. The single reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned King a second Grammy Award nomination. Throughout his career, King collaborated with some of the greatest musicians of the time, including Phil Spector, Solomon Burke, and Frankie Valli. His influence on soul and pop music is immeasurable, as he helped define the sound of Motown, Stax, and Atlantic Records. King's impact extends beyond his music. In 1987, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Drifters. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation in 1990 and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. Ben E. King's music continues to touch hearts, inspiring generations of artists and fans alike with its depth, warmth, and undeniable charm.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Stand by me"

The phrase "Stand By Me" as sung by Ben E. King symbolizes solidarity, loyalty, and support in times of adversity. It's a call for companionship and friendship in the face of challenges, expressing the importance of having someone to lean on during tough times. In essence, it encourages people to stand together, united, through life's ups and downs.

"I know I've got a friend in you"

The quote by Ben E. King, "I know I've got a friend in you," expresses trust, companionship, and mutual support. It signifies that the speaker feels secure knowing they have someone reliable who will stand by them through thick and thin. This sentiment is often conveyed between close friends or family members who share a strong bond of loyalty and understanding.

"What is soul but the ability to reach down and discover some great truth within yourself"?

Ben E. King's quote suggests that the essence of one's soul lies in the capacity to delve deep within oneself, uncovering profound insights and truths about one's existence. This quotation emphasizes the importance of self-discovery, introspection, and understanding one's innermost feelings as an integral part of one's identity, spirit, or soul. By exploring our own depths, we can cultivate a richer, more authentic, and meaningful life.

"Love is a beautiful thing, don't let anyone make you think it's something less"

The quote emphasizes that love, in its purest form, is a profoundly positive and valuable experience. It serves as a reminder to not allow anyone to devalue or tarnish the beauty of love. Love is not just an ordinary emotion; it transcends ordinary experiences and holds immense power and significance. Therefore, it's crucial to protect and cherish this beautiful feeling, regardless of any external influences that may attempt to diminish its worth.

"Every now and then I think I'd like to pick up my bed and walk away."

This quote suggests a feeling of exhaustion, restlessness, or dissatisfaction with one's current situation, where the speaker imagines leaving behind their problems by literally picking up their belongings and walking away. It speaks to the universal human desire for change, freedom, and escape from monotony, discomfort, or unhappy circumstances. However, it does not necessarily imply a permanent departure but rather a momentary thought or fantasy of starting anew.

I do like what Alicia Keys and John Legend are doing. With their music, you keep your clothes on.

- Ben E. King

Doing, Like, Keys, Legend

If there's anything about the business that I love and that I'm extremely happy about, is that my career started at that time and that I met some of the greatest entertainers at that time and some are still here.

- Ben E. King

Love, Here, Some, Entertainers

I still think my whole career was accidental. I didn't pursue it. I feel like I'm cheating sometimes.

- Ben E. King

Career, Think, Still, Cheating

I never even visualized for a second doing what I'm doing.

- Ben E. King

Doing, Never, Even, Visualized

You were able to sing something they related to instantly, because it was part of what you felt. It was part of what you had already traveled through. It's part of the people you were associating with daily. It was all of that.

- Ben E. King

Through, Part, Felt, Traveled

In my vocal, I think you can hear something of my earlier times when I'd sing in subway halls for the echo and perform doo-wop on street corners. But I had a lot of influences, too - singers like Sam Cooke, Brook Benton and Roy Hamilton.

- Ben E. King

Echo, I Think, Vocal, None

When I got involved with The Five Crowns who later became The Drifters, and we got this hit record, I still was looking at this as kind of a fun thing.

- Ben E. King

Still, Became, Fun Thing, Crowns

We were doing things with a hundred per cent feeling. It wasn't programmed. It wasn't asked for. It wasn't structured. It was just there. It was very raw. I don't think the industry would allow that to happen again.

- Ben E. King

Think, Very, Allow, Structured

Those things don't happen today. I feel sorry for the kids in the industry today. They have on sunglasses, eat caviar in jet planes, but they'll never know the true feeling that we did.

- Ben E. King

Sunglasses, Feel, Happen, True Feeling

He was a manager, one of the singers, I guess talent coordinator for the local talent in Harlem. His name was Lover Patterson. He was living right across the street from where my dad had his restaurant. I guess he saw a lot of kids come in, a lot of my buddies.

- Ben E. King

Local, Had, Dad, Buddies

The Phil Spector that I would meet has always been a nice, quiet, little guy who's very serious about his work; obviously you can tell that because each and everything he's ever done has always been charted.

- Ben E. King

Tell, Been, Very, Charted

Many times I've gone on tours with Paul Anka. He would have someone sitting behind him to keep people from even talking to him. You were almost in a little restricted area there.

- Ben E. King

Behind, Area, Almost, Restricted

Of course, the kids who had never heard of a person called Ben E. King were then aware of the name associated with the song. That gave a tremendous lift to me as an artist.

- Ben E. King

Song, King, Artist, Lift

One minute we can be in a small club, the next minute we can be in a coliseum, and the next minute we can be in a small auditorium. It varies, depending on the promoter, the budget, and the travelling distance.

- Ben E. King

Small, Next, Travelling, Budget

One of the members of the group, I can't remember which one, found out we were making $3 - $5,000 a night. We were getting a hundred dollars a week a piece. Everybody got upset about it.

- Ben E. King

Making, Which, Hundred, Members

It would probably take me an hour to two to write it down, get the feel of it, and that's with quite a few changes. It's not really a hard thing for me to do.

- Ben E. King

Changes, Two, Feel, Hard Thing

The movie is actually from a book by Stephen King called The Body. When they were gonna put it to a motion picture, they found the story was a bit too strong for the title The Body, based on a young kid's movie. It would be too heavy.

- Ben E. King

Strong, Young, Movie, Heavy

Yeah. I've been pretty fortunate to travel I guess, all around the place.

- Ben E. King

Pretty, Been, Guess, Fortunate

When we took on the name The Drifters, we became the new Drifters, and signed a contract to be put on salary, which I think was like a hundred dollars a week, a piece, five hundred dollars for all five of us.

- Ben E. King

Which, Took, Became, Contract

I'd originally intended 'Stand By Me' for the Drifters.

- Ben E. King

Me, Stand, Intended, Originally

I do a lot of Vegas work and work with the comedians.

- Ben E. King

Work, Vegas, Lot, Comedians

It never dawned on me at any particular time of my life that people are paid tremendous money to sing.

- Ben E. King

My Life, Dawned, Particular, Tremendous

Yeah. I'm amateurish. I can play enough to write a song, or strum on a little guitar to write out a song. But, I don't play well at all. I wouldn't even attempt for a second to play in public.

- Ben E. King

Song, Play, Enough, Yeah

And, because there was an honesty about all that was going on. It connected with the people in the street.

- Ben E. King

Honesty, Connected, Going, Street

At that time, we were in charge. We didn't ask. We just did. We just did what was in our heart.

- Ben E. King

Time, Ask, Were, Charge

The industry now wants to be in charge of everything.

- Ben E. King

Now, Industry, Wants, Charge

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