Tom Dooley died a long time ago but folk music lives on.
The Kingston Trio – who play Savannah Center on Feb. 2 — started the folk music revolution in 1958 with the No. 1 hit “Tom Dooley.” It tells the story about hanging a guy who stabbed his girlfriend. Here’s a video:
That record helped open the door for artists such as Peter Paul and Mary; Bob Dylan, the Byrds, The Brothers Four, Joan Baez and Chad Mitchell.
The current edition of the Kingston Trio will play two sold-out shows Fed. 2, at 5 and 8 p.m. in the Savannah Center.
Also, on tap for local folkies is a good, old-fashioned Hootenanny. On Feb. 8, Bill Davis and some Villages Pop Chorus members will appear at 7 p.m. in the Lake Miona Recreation Center in a concert to benefit Tutors for Kids.
Folk music, going back to Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, has a long history of social activism. During the late ‘50s and early ‘60s, younger groups continued that tradition with a fresh, new sound.
“It caused young people to really think about social issues, and take a stand and try to do something,” Bill Davis said. “Dylan, along with Peter Paul and Mary were at the forefront of this, not just with their music, but with appearances at some of the most important events of the civil rights movement, like the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington.
“They were already successful, important recording artists and their music led them to social involvement and leadership. The songs of Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan, became banners for social change.”
As the 1960s wore on, that message expanded to protest war and injustice Folk turned into folk rock, featuring the likes of the Seekers, Simon and Garfunkel, and the Beatles.
“People like John Lennon took up the banner, but Dylan and the others clearly led the way,” Davis said.
But the Kingston Trio had the first commercial breakthrough.
The original Trio featured Bob Shane, Nick Reynolds and Dave Guard. Reynolds and Guard have died, and Shane retired. The current group features George Grove, Rick Dougherty and Bill Zorn.
They sing all Trio’s hits, including: “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” “Scotch and Soda,” “Greenback Dollar,” “The MTA,” and “The Tijuana Jail.”
”None of us are original members, but we were all fans of the music since we were kids and getting the opportunity to sing this folk music for a living is a blessing,” Grove told the Nevada Entertainer. “We found the Kingston Trio to be the canvas to paint our folk music picture on.”
Bill Davis also appreciates the wonders of folk music. Members of the Villages Pop Chorus who will perform at the Hootenanny include: Sue Davis, Jack Strite, Woody High, Steve Rubin, Jim Vukelic, Billie Thatcher, Jan Lavin, Donna Francis, BJ Odendahl, Jan McCoy, and Gayle Marra. The local group Playnfoke will also sing.
For Davis and local singers, folk music is about harmony and something more important.
“What we really like about performing folk music is it makes us smile, it makes us think, and it is truly beautiful,” he said.
