Ben E. King: The Fresh Air Interview
The hit songwriter sang bass with the doo-wop group The Crowns; he switched to lead vocals when they became The Drifters. King got his start at Harlem's Apollo Theater before finding national fame. As a solo performer, he had hits with original songs like "Stand by Me" and "Spanish Harlem."
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Other segments from the episode on September 2, 1988
The Evolution of Jazz Piano
New Fresh Air performer-in-residence Dick Hyman plays some of the music of Jelly Roll Morton. Hyman says the pianist and composer bridged the gap between ragtime and jazz, incorporating the phrasing and style of wind and reed players.
Portraying an Activist Family Onscreen
Shawn Slovo based her screenplay for A World Apart on her experiences growing up under apartheid in South Africa. Her parents were white activists in the African National Congress; her mother was a journalist who was imprisoned; her father was forced out of the country.
Bringing Back Fats
A revival of Ain't Misbehavin', featuring the original cast, is now playing on Broadway. Critic-at-large Laurie Stone says she jumped at the chance to see it. Overacting and exaggerated choreography plagued the first act, but the cast showed restraint during the last half.
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