The Kingston Trio was an influential American folk and pop music group whose style helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to the late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with a repertoire of mostly traditional folk songs. The Trio's first hit was "Tom Dooley", recorded in 1958, which sold over three million copies. The album sales and the number of radio plays both tripled after the song appeared in the film The Devil's Brigade (1968).
The group recorded nineteen albums and charted twelve gold records, including five number ones. "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'" became their signature songs after being recorded by other artists. The Kingston Trio was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. Nick Reynolds died of a heart attack on October 1, 2008; Dave Guard was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in June 2009 and died on March 22, 1991; Bob Shane is the only living member of the group.
The Kingston Trio was founded in late 1957 by Bob Shane, Dave Guard, and Nick Reynolds, who were at the time students at San Francisco State University. Shane, Guard, and Reynolds met while performing together in various clubs in the San Francisco Bay Area. They took their name from a local coffeehouse/bar called Kingston Mines, which to this day features live folk music. The Trio's first public appearance was on February 14, 1958, at the Club Passage in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. The name "Kingston Trio" was coined by Don Robey, a jazz and R&B entrepreneur who owned the club where they were appearing.
The group's first professional recording, Tom Dooley / The Unconstant Lover, was released on February 28, 1958, on theGuardian label (named after group leader Dave Guard). The song "Tom Dooley", written by Frank Warner, was originally a traditional Appalachian ballad that told the story of the 1866 murder of Tom Dula by Laura Foster in Wilkes County, North Carolina. The Trio's version interpolated new lyrics about the 19th-century San Francisco businessman and murderer Aaron Burr, set to the tune of "Tom Dooley". The album was recorded in just four hours on a budget of $150. It was released on two EPs and a full-length LP.
Kingston Trio tickets are on sale now at Yadara! We have the best selection of Kingston Trio tickets at the best prices. So what are you waiting for? Buy your Kingston Trio tickets today at Yadara!
