Tom Dooley

I did not want to place this under "Report Error" so I do hope someone can answer my question.

I did not know the history or origins of the song "Tom Dooley" by Kingston Trio other than it was based on a true story. How is it that it is labeled "Traditional," which I understand to be a song where writer(s) are actually unknown (e.g. "House of the rising sun". Then I find a long explanation of how the original songwriters sued Kingston Trio and actually received compensation?

Thanks

MHC

There is an interesting article here: http://www.murderbygaslight.com/2010/01/hang-down-your-head-tom-dula.html

Great story.

As a reference site and such a good source of songs and music information, accuracy and consistency is of the utmost importance. My question regarding "traditional" yet sued and settled but an author is not t he only discrepancy. The long story and explanation doe not mention the singers of the first release posted or any connection to the others involved in the story for the song and the writers. Who are these singers and what do they have to do with the story given? How do the fit in?

"First release by G.B. Grayson & Henry Whitter (1930) "

I agree that the song isn't really a traditional. Perhaps we should mark it as "Unidentified Author" or "Anonymous Author" (but the ability to mark a song this way is a fairly recent feature in SHS. We may not have had this feature when we entered this song which may explain the use of "Traditional" instead).

Here are some more references: the first one in particular is very detailed and tells how Grayson and Whitter fit into the story:

- http://www.planetslade.com/tom-dooley.html

- http://www.edu-cyberpg.com/music/folk_Tom_Dooley.html

- http://www.kingstontrioplace.com/tdooleydoc.htm

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Dooley_%28song%29

Thanks-- and for the references. My point is/was that this info should be right here-- on SHS on the song page-- even when an update or changes (on "traditional") and/or an update are needed , for consistency and clarity, i.e. the info on the first release-- briefly, e.g who they are and how or where it comes from.

A few years ago I have also collected some information about the song on my blog

http://jopiepopie.blogspot.nl/2013/06/tom-dooley-1929.html

JoJo greets

Hi, I've changed the author of Tom Dula from "Traditional" to "Unidentified", and I've changed the comment a bit. I added some details about how some of the artists were connected to the events, and I also reduced the certainty of the comment "Laura Foster was pregnant with Dula's child..." as this doesn't seem to be certain at all.

The song is often credited to "Trad." or "Trad./ arr. Lomax/Warner/Proffitt" on record labels so changing to "Unidentified" might turn out to be controversial with other editors.

I didn't change anything about the legal case. Tim (tsk) who originally added the work is a lawyer and so much better qualified than me. His comment does not say that Lomax/Warner/Proffitt sued the Kingston Trio as original songwriters. They sued because the Kingston Trio used their arrangement, which was copyrighted because of its inclusion in "Folk Songs USA".

Thanks for your question Maryhelen. I'm not particularly knowledgeable about this song, but hopefully I've improved things a bit.

I need to add the version by The Folksay Trio, as we don't have that one yet.

Added the Folksay Trio version: Tom Dooley

Jojo, on your blog, you say that American Folksay Ballads and Dances Vol. 2 was released in Summer 1953. Do you have a source for this date?

Quote from baggish

Added the Folksay Trio version: Tom Dooley

Jojo, on your blog, you say that American Folksay Ballads and Dances Vol. 2 was released in Summer 1953. Do you have a source for this date?

As it is more than 4 years ago I don't know for sure where I got the date.

But maybe it was here:

http://www.45cat.com/biography/the-tarriers

I know I also checked this one:

http://www.kingstontrioplace.com/tdooleydoc.htm

JoJo greets

OK, thanks Jojo!