Henderson in Vance County, North Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Ben E. King

— NC Musicians Mural Trail —

Photographed by Mark Parker, June 20, 2023

1. Ben E. King Marker

Inscription.
Born: September 28, 1938, Henderson, NC
Died: April 30, 2015, Hackensack, NJ

Ben E. King left North Carolina with his family for Harlem in 1947 and started work in his father's restaurants as a teenager. His remarkable ability to sing both bass and tenor made him appealing to choirs and led him to form a vocal group called the Four Bs with some friends. In his early 20s, George Treadwell recruited him to sing with the Drifters. While with the group, he recorded such hits as "There Goes My Baby" and "Save the Last Dance for Me." However, he parted ways with Treadwell after disputes over salary and embarked on a solo career in 1961 with the song "Spanish Harlem." Later that year, he released "Stand by Me," the hit for which he is best known. King's feelings for his soon-to-be-wife Betty inspired the words and his performance, creating a heartfelt classic that remains fresh to this day.
Muralist: Scott Nurkin

Erected 2021 by NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment. A significant historical date for this entry is September 28, 1938.

Location. 36° 19.47′ N,

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78° 24.157′ W. Marker is in Henderson, North Carolina, in Vance County. It is at the intersection of Zene Street and East Winder Street, on the right when traveling north on Zene Street. Marker is at the bottom left of a mural on the west wall of a warehouse complex. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 270 Zene St, Henderson NC 27536, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Carolina’s Piedmont.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Henderson City Center (approx. ¼ mile away); Vance County World War II Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); Vance County Iraq War Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); Vance County Vietnam War Memorial

Ben E. King Mural image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Mark Parker, June 20, 2023

2. Ben E. King Mural

(approx. ¼ mile away); Vance County Korean War Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); In Memory of Leonard Henderson (approx. ¼ mile away); Harriet-Henderson Strike (approx. 0.9 miles away); "Tiny" Broadwick (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Henderson.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 12, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 11, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 510 times since then and 48 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 11, 2024, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.