What was the Kingston Trio hit?
The Kingston Trio was one of the most prominent groups of the era’s pop-folk boom, which they kick-started in 1958 with the release of the Trio’s eponymous first album and its hit recording of “Tom Dooley”, which sold over three million copies as a single.
What’s the story behind the song Tom Dooley?
“Tom Dooley” is a traditional North Carolina folk song based on the 1866 murder of a woman named Laura Foster in Wilkes County, North Carolina by Tom Dula (whose name in the local dialect was pronounced “Dooley”). Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.
Is the song Tom Dooley based on a true story?
After Tom’s execution, a local poet named Thomas Land wrote a song about the tragic event, cementing its place in American folklore. In 1958 the Kingston Trio recorded the song and sold more than six million records. The ballad, loosely based on actual fact, helped launch America into the Folk Music era.
Why did Tom Dooley have to die?
Tom Dula’s sense of chivalry made him unwilling to see a wealthy woman dishonored and facing a death by hanging. So Dula confessed to a murder he did not commit in order to save Melton’s reputation. On May 1, 1868, Tom Dula was executed for the murder of Laura Foster.
Where was Tom Dula hanged?
Statesville, N.C.
In 1868 a man named Tom Dula (pronounced Dooley) was hanged in Statesville, N.C. after being convicted of murdering his lover, Laura Foster, in 1866.
When was Tom Dooley by the Kingston Trio recorded?
Tom Dooley, as recorded by the Kingston Trio in 1958, is often credited as being the song that kick-started the folk music revival of the 1950s and 60s.
Is the Kingston Trio still on the road?
And fifty-eight years after Tom Dooley shot to the top of the charts, the Trio is still on the road thirty weeks a year, bringing back all the great memories and making new ones. To Mike, Tim, and Don… thanks so much for performing in Newburyport tonight. It was a fantastic show!
Where did the song Tom Dooley come from?
The label on the Kingston Trio LP on which the song first appeared says “Tom Dooley” was “Traditional, arranged by Dave Guard,” while the LP’s liner notes simply refer to it as “a classic ‘do’ of the Tennessee hill-folk.” So neither of these was much help in identifying the Kingston Trio’s source for the song.
What are the chords to Tom Dooley’s hang down your head?
Chords. Chorus G Hang down your head Tom Dooley, D7 Hang down your head and cry, Hang down your head Tom Dooley, G Poor boy, your bound to die. Verse G I met her on the mountain, D7 And there…