Suwannee Spring Reunion Live Oak Florida 3-23-2018 Billy Strings guitar, Billy Failing Banjo, Jarrod Walker mandolin, John Mailander fiddle, Royal Masat bass
The very first recording of this song by Grayson & Whitter in 1928 is my favorite version, but this one is now a close second! G.B. Grayson of Grayson & Whitter is the nephew of Colonel James Grayson, the guy who apprehended the real Tom Dula in 1868. Tom was hanged on May 1st of that year, and shortly thereafter a local poet named Thomas C. Land wrote the song "Tom Dooley".
Are you sure you aren't getting this confused with "Dooley", which was performed by The Dillards on the Andy Griffith Show? The members of The Dillards were cast members of the Andy Griffith Show, known as the Darlings, a family who made moonshine and would play songs in several appearances on the show.
Imagine leaving the set of the band you manage to head to the Music Hall to see Billy Strings playing Doc Watson tunes instead??!! 🤭 Earlier, I was walking from the Amphitheatre towards the Music Hall & a long haired banjo toting fellow stopped me & asked me how to get to the Music Hall. I told him (Billy Failing), "Follow me, I'll show you". 😊🎶 Great video, T-Dawg. I was in the back & didn't have nearly the great view you captured. Epic set!!
Check out RU-vid, the recording Doc made should still be up. There is no comparison, like a completely different song, and traditional in W North Carolina.
This song was already ridiculously old in the 1960s my friend. My Family had learned and was singing this song in the mountains before 1900. Frank Proffitt sr played this song for frank Warner in a effort to help preserve the folk music.
This song was written in 1868, shortly after the May 1st hanging of Tom Dula. Colonel James Grayson was the guy who apprehended Tom Dula, and his nephew G.B. Grayson made the very first recording of "Tom Dooley" in 1928.
Billy’s right. There seem to be more people coming around to the idea that Tom Dooley (Dula) was innocent, as he claimed to be. Excellent interpretation by Billy Strings. What a gift!!
There was a 3-way relationship between Tom Dula,Lori Foster and Toms married ex-girlfriend. Him saying he didn’t harm her but is gonna take the punishment for bringing the affair into Loris life. That’s how my grandparents told me the story.
Hello I'm a Proffitt. My family owns partial royalties to this song. A very long time ago I played the original dust in a baggie video for my grandfather he was amazed by Billy's guitar talent. If you want to hear one of the original versions look up Frank Proffitt he learned the song from his aunt Nancy Prather whose parents had known both Laura Foster and Tom Dula. Another thing about this song is it really shouldn't be played upbeat or happy sounding. You have to remember they hung a innocent man. There's so much more to the story that most don't know.
This version comes from Doc Watson who inherited it from his family. I believe his mother was related to the Dulas somehow. Anyways, upbeat songs about tragedies is an old folk tradition going back to Ireland at least, so don't knock it. I rather prefer that way of looking at death.
My family came here from Scotland in 1716 my friend Born - Abt 1698 - Perth, Perthshire, Scotland Married - Abt 1724 - Virginia, United States Died - 10 Apr 1767 - Goochland County, Virginia, Un Silvester proffitt aka Sylvester prophet joined the army of James III in his abortive invasion of England in 1715. He was a soldier under General Thomas Forster in the battle of Preston, Lanchashire, England on November 9th, 1715. He, with 638 other Scottish rebels, were captured on November 14th, 1715 by the English Armies. Once Captured they were then transported to the ship "Elizabeth and Ann" commanded by Edward Trafford, which left Liverpool June 29th, 1716 bound for Jamaica and Virginia. Sylvester arrived in York, Virginia on October 12th, 1716. He was then transported as an unindentured person. Sylvester received a land grant from George II in Goochland County, Virginia on the June 20th, 1738. His will was written on October 21st, 1766 and probated on October 21st, 1767. An inventory of his estate was taken May 16th, 1767.
Frank Proffitt, a real person, sang "Tom Dooley," a song about a real person, to Frank Warner, also a real person. Warner recorded the song for Elektra Records without copyrighting it, and Alan Lomax reproduced it in his book Folk Song, U. S. A. with Frank's permission. Many folk singers repeated the song, some even crediting Warner as the collector. One day The Kingston Trio heard it, enjoyed it, learned it, and recorded it -- almost exactly as Frank Warner had recorded it.... The Record company was happy to credit the Trio for "Tom Dooley," but Lomax objected. He had copyrighted the song before the Trio had recorded it. Ah, responded the Trio, but that was after Warner had propelled the song into the public domain by recording it without copyrighting it. Besides, what right had Warner to the song when he admitted he was singing it exactly as he'd learned it from Proffitt?
@@brandonproffitt725 Uh, yeah that sucks. Not a big fan of the Kingston Trio. Doc Watson was the real deal though. He grew up in a similar area to Frank Proffitt which is how Doc inherited his own, distinct version of Tom Dooley just as authentic as Proffitt's version.
Not a phone and didn't realize the mic was shot until after the fact. My equipment was immediately retired afterwards and was heart broken for it was an extremely special set and music history in the making. Sometimes shit happens.
