Rock-n-roll was born in the 1950’s, and so was a long list of timeless voices which made the music so popular. Among those was Ben E. King which joined the singing group The Drifters in 1958. In his time with the group, King helped them achieve a series of mainstream radio hits which may go down in history as one of the greatest singing groups of all time. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, a solo Ben E. King and The Drifters themselves have remained active performing to adoring fans nationwide. On Saturday June 7th, with summer in the air, Ben E. King made an appearance at the newly restored historic Suffolk Theater in Riverhead, NY to play to a large audience.
With everyone arriving early for dinner and drinks, the mood was set just right in this beautifully antiquated theater which was completely renovated and opened again for live music events in 2013. With classic rock-n-roll playing over the speakers and everyone sitting at their tables awaiting the main event, Ben E. King’s band came out onto the stage one by one. Consisting of a pianist, guitarist, bassists, drummer, and a horn section, the band got things cracking with a series of instruments until King himself was introduced and he walked out with two female backing vocalists to standing ovation. Singing through all his Drifters hits including “There Goes My Baby”, “Save the Last Dance”, and “On Broadway”, the audience at Suffolk Theater were treated to the soulful sounds of yesteryear with strong singing by King and equally as strong instrumentation by his backing band. King made the statement that the next song reminded him of summer and many would agree as he went into “Under the Boardwalk”. In the midst of the song, King acknowledged that two Drifters members were in attendance for the evening and invited both onto the stage for a brief duet. One of the members to take the stage was Prentiss McNeil who spent twenty seven years performing with The Drifters and continues to perform around the New York area. The three vocalists shared laughs on stage and the statement was made that without Ben E. King there would be no Drifters.
The set moved on to King’s first solo recording ever, “Spanish Harlem”, followed by a cover of Ray Charles “Let the Good Times Roll”. At this point King’s pianist was able to shine bright with a beautiful solo that helped bring the song to life. With a few couples standing up and dancing together, King went into perhaps his most memorable song ever, “Stand By Me”, which he graciously dedicated to the audience. A song that never seems to get old and reigns supreme as one of the best of all time, King gave it the life it needed and deserved. Giving the audience more to cheer for, King went into a medley of tributes including Sam Cooke’s “Wonderful World”, “Cupid”, and the popular Jimmie Davis song “You Are My Sunshine” which had everyone singing along. Walking off the stage momentarily, he returned for an encore rocking Wilson Pickett’s “In The Midnight Hour” and “Mustang Sally”. Waving good night for the final time, everyone was smiling as King exited. In times in which culture and history seem to be thrown at the wayside it is important to cherish the heritage of America soul, R&B, and rock-n-roll legends like Ben E. King. Let us all hope he continues to performs for many years to come.
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