"Tom Dooley" by Kingston Trio
is a folk song based on the 1866 murder of a woman named Laura Foster in Wilkes County, North Carolina, allegedly by Tom Dula. A local poet named Thomas Land wrote a song about the tragedy, titled "Tom Dooley" (which was how Dula's name was pronounced), shortly after Dula was hanged. The sweetheart murder ballad was covered by many artists, but the most successful version was the Kingston Trio recordings. "Tom Dooley" reached no.1 in many countries, like the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, Italy, and Norway. Furthermore it was the second most successful hit in the 50's of the 20th century, after 'Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)' by Doris Day.