Who sang Stand By Me?
19 May 2018, 10:10 | Updated: 21 May 2018, 17:01
Over 400 versions of 'Stand By Me' have been recorded.
"When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see…"
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose the song to be sung by Karen Gibson and the Kingdom Choir during their Royal Wedding on May 19 2018, but who sang it first?
Ben E King released the original version of 'Stand By Me' in 1961. The song was later became part of his album Don't Play That Song (1962).
It's been suggested King had no intention of recording the song himself when he wrote it - in fact, he wrote it for his group The Drifters, who actually passed on recording it.
King's version reached number one in the UK in 1987 after it was re-released. It originally only reached number 27!
It has been covered by a host of artists including John Lennon and Florence + the Machine.