who sang/performed "the lion sleeps tonight" from the film Lion King originally????

Answer 1

Solomon Linda and The Evening birds wrote and recorded the first version of the song but it has been covered many times by various artists.

Answer 2

A lawsuit was filed in 2004 by the family of Solomon Linda seeking damages for the copyright of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." Mr. Linda had written and recorded the song in 1939 under the name "Mbube," which is Zulu for "The Lion." In 1952 he sold the copyright of "Mbube" to Gallo Studios, the company that produced his record, for 10 shillings (about 87 cents today).

He also got a job sweeping floors and serving tea in the company's packing house. Born in 1909 in the Zulu heartland of Africa, Mr. Linda never learned to read or write, but he knew music and had the ability of writing lyrics. He died in 1962 at the age of 53, with $22.00 in the bank. His wife could not afford a gravestone.

Over the years, more than 150 artists have recorded the song under the name, "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." The song has survived many versions; a jazz version, nightclub version, folk version, pop version, and finally a 1994 Walt Disney hit movie under the name "The Lion King."

Mr. Linda and his family should have enjoyed a very comfortable life, but instead, the family lived in Soweto with barely a stick of furniture, sleeping on a dirt floor carpeted with cow dung. His eight children survived on maize porridge, known as pap. When they passed a grade in school, their reward was an egg. Two died as babies, one of malnutrition.

In February of 2006 an undisclosed settlement was reached between Linda's heirs and Abilene Music, who held the worldwide rights. The heirs received payment for past uses of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" and an entitlement to future royalties from its worldwide use. A trust has been set up to administer the heirs' copyright of the song.

Answer 3

Check Wikipedia. The song was originally written and performed by Solomon Linda in 1939 and covered by The Kingston Trio in 1959, but the popular version you're probably familiar with was performed by The Tokens in 1961 -- that's the version that hit Billboard's Top 100.

Answer 4

Solomon Linda, and his group, The Evening Birds, in 1939

Answer 5

Tight Fit

Answer 6

it was actually recorded about twenty + years or so BEFORE tight fit but I`m damned if I can remember by whom, I know it was a solo white male singer - Omigod I`ve just remembered!!! Spooky or what? It was by a guy called Karl Denver (60`s?)

Answer 7

A group called Tight Fit.

Answer 8

Tokens

Answer 9

Mbube

Answer 10

Tight Fit.