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 December 26, 1988
1988 Was a Great Year for Jazz
Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead shares his favorite releases of the year -- which include three reissues of classic recordings.
Ronnie Spector's Comeback
Spector is best known for her song "Be My Baby." She was the frontwoman of the Ronettes and former wife of Phil Spector, who forbade her from performing during their marriage. The singer released a new album last year, called Unfinished Business.
A Biopic that Could Have Been Better
TV critic David Bianulli says that the brief history of the Carpenters, particularly Karen Carpenter's death from anorexia nervosa, was tragic, but short on details to make a compelling biopic. With Carpenter's brother Richard serving as producer, the movie shies away from the truth, and ultimately falls flat.
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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."
Kazuo Ishiguro Draws On His Songwriting Past To Write Novels About The Future
Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro didn't set out to become a novelist. In the 1960s, he came to San Francisco from England with his acoustic guitar, hoping to make it as a singer-songwriter.
Remembering Billy Joe Shaver, Songwriter Of Country's Outlaw Movement
Shaver, who died Oct. 28, wrote songs for Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley, among others. Originally broadcast in 1994 and 2005.