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MPR News Staff

It's been 60 years since the Kingston Trio topped charts with 'Tom Dooley'

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"Tom Dooley" by the Kingston Trio was No. 1 on the Billboard pop chart 60 years ago Tuesday.

The gruesome folk song is based on a true story. Tom Dula (pronounced "Dooley") was a North Carolina man who fought for the Confederate Army in the Civil War, and in 1868, he was convicted of murdering his lover Laura Foster. Foster's cousin — who was also involved with Dula — was implicated in the murder as well, but later acquitted.

The case attracted national attention in part because Dula was represented by a former governor of North Carolina. A local poet wrote a folk song based on the story, which has been recorded by many artists — including the Kingston Trio.