Released in 1958, "Tom Dooley" became a "mammoth hit" that reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts and sold over three million copies.
The song is based on the 1866 murder of in Wilkes County, North Carolina. The man convicted of the crime was Tom Dula (pronounced "Dooley" in the local dialect), a Confederate veteran and farmhand. The Kingston Trio - Tom Dooley - 1958
Watch this performance of Tom Dooley to see how the Kingston Trio's harmonies and stage presence helped spark the American folk revival: How Many People Pronounce The R In Arm In 1950 vs 2016 Brilliant Maps Facebook• Jan 7, 2026 Released in 1958, "Tom Dooley" became a "mammoth