‘Stand by Me’
‘Stand by Me’ A Reason To Smile Dan Rather and Team Steady Feb 22 The song “Stand by Me” by Ben E. King was a huge hit when it was released in 1961. It found a second life in the late 1980s when it appeared on the soundtrack of “Stand by Me,” a film directed by Rob Reiner. Twenty-six years after the song was released, it topped the charts for a second time. And 39 years later, it is our reason to smile. King, a rhythm and blues singer-songwriter, was the lead singer of The Drifters, one of the most prolific hit-makers in the early days of popular music. Their songs included, “Under the Boardwalk,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” and “Up on the Roof.” But not “Stand by Me.” King recorded and released it as a solo hit after the Drifters passed on it. The song isn’t just popular at weddings and graduation parties. It is numbered among the Recording Industry Association of America’s 25 Songs of the Century. The original recording was inducted into the National Recording Regis...