The weekend is never quite long enough, and it seems as though there’s always too much to do. With so many things happening, who can keep up? Don’t sweat it, we’ve got you covered; here are a some of the things that happened this past weekend – in case you missed it.
News:
Ben E. King Dies At 76
We mourned the passing of Ben E. King, the legendary singer and songwriter who penned one of the most enduring songs of all time. King passed away Thursday at the age of 76, as confirmed by his agent on Friday. Perhaps most famous for his hit “Stand By Meâ€, which has been included on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time as well as being voted one of the Songs of the Century by the RIAA, King was also a member of the reinvented Drifters in the late 50’s before venturing out on his own. Born Benjamin Earl Nelson in Henderson, North Carolina before relocating to Harlem at a young age, King would go on to have a career that spans over 50 years as a performer. As reported by the NY Times, he is survived by his mother, Jenny Nelson; his wife of 51 years, Betty King; two daughters, Terris Cannon and Angela Matos; a son, Benjamin Jr.; four sisters, Joyce Powell, Gladys Johnson, Deborah Nelson and Stacy Nelson; three brothers, Jeffrey, Calvin and Billy; and six grandchildren.
Speaking about his timeless hit “Stand By Me†in an interview with the Big Issue in 2012 – King said, “I knew it had some strength, some good words. But I didn’t think much more than that. When I started to hear it on the radio and heard people talking about it, I did get to the point of realizing that the song had something special.â€
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News: The Curfew Has Been Lifted in Baltimore
Reports Sunday morning that the curfew in Baltimore, following violent protests in the wake of the death of 25 year old Freddie Gray at the hands of police, has been lifted. The curfew was put in place Tuesday following a particularly turbulent protest on Monday, but after days of peaceful protests and the announcement on Friday that the six officers involved in Gray’s arrest were to be charged – Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake lifted the curfew, stating “My number one priority in instituting a curfew was to ensure the public peace, safety, health and welfare of Baltimore citizens… It was not an easy decision, but one I felt was necessary to help our city restore calm.”
According to a report by The Fader, the six officers – Caesar Goodson, Alicia White, William Porter, Brian Rice, Edward Nero, Garrett Miller – whom
were all arrested Friday, were each out on bail by Friday night. Regarding the decision to press charges, Al Jazeera reports that prosecutor Marilyn Mosby stated that “Gray’s neck was broken because he was placed head-first into a police van while in handcuffs and later leg shackles where he was left to slam against the walls of the small metal compartment. Police said the officers who arrested Gray ignored his cries for help, because they thought he was faking his injuries. He was repeatedly denied medical attention. Mosby deemed the death a homicide. No dates have been set for trials but speakers at Saturday’s rally in front of city hall urged people to ensure that they were registered to vote, so that they can be called as jurors. Mosby surprised legal observers by filing charges against the officers herself, rather than seeking a grand jury indictment, a day after receiving the results of the internal police investigation and an official autopsy report.â€Sports:
A hectic Saturday saw several major sporting events taking place that had to leave fans a bit dizzy; a few MLB games, the NHL and NBA playoffs, the NFL Draft as well as fight night in Vegas and the Kentucky Derby. Overwhelmed much? Let’s start in Louisville for the 141st running of the Kentucky Derby, where over 170,000 people turned up for the event. The winner was – American Pharaoh, and jockey Victor Espinoza, quoted saying after the race “I feel like the luckiest Mexican in the world.â€. From Kentucky we head over to the oasis in the desert, Las Vegas, for the Mayweather v. Pacquiao fight was a momentous occasion in boxing, as the two fighters have been teasing fans for years. We’ve previously detailed what was on the line for the two fighters, and at the end of 12 grueling rounds – Floyd Mayweather emerged the victor, and his undefeated streak extends to 48.