February 2006, Linda's descendants reached a legal settlement with Abilene Music Publishers, who had licensed the song to Disney to place the song's earnings in a trust. The group was glad to get the RCA recording contract but really didnt want The Lion Sleeps. During this same time the Richmond Organization began paying $3000 annually to Linda’s Estate because Howie Richmond copyrighted the song in the US. The Lion Sleeps Tonight is a popular song written by South African composer Solomon Linda and recorded by his group, the Evening Birds, in 1939. The 1961 lineup was Medress, Jay Siegel, and Phil and Mitch Margo. July 2004, the song became the subject of a lawsuit between Linda's estate and Disney, claiming that Disney owed $1.6 million in royalties. In 2000 Rian Malan (South African journalist) wrote an article for Rolling Stones telling the Solomon Linda story and stated that the song had earned an estimated $15 million just from the Disney movie The Lion King. Americans maintained that South African copyrights were not valid because South Africa was not a signatory to U.S. The word mbube means lion in Zulu, and The Evening. The group Tight Fit version became a number 1 hit in 1982 in the UK.Īlthough Solomon Linda was the original writer and Solomon Linda and The Evening Birds performed and recorded this song originally called “Mbube”, he was only paid $1000 because he was acknowledged as the author. In 1939, South African singer Solomon Linda recorded the song Mbube with his group, The Evening Birds. However, in 1961 the song became a number 1 hit in the United States after the Tokens changed it into a doo-wap version called” The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” This version of the song earned millions in royalties from cover versions and film licensing. The Weavers renamed the song “Wimoweh,” Jimmy Dorsey, Yma Sumac, Miriam Makeba, and the Kingston Trio. During the 1950s and 1960s, many pop and folk artists changed and covered the song like Henri Salvador. The original version was written and performed in Zulu and then written in English by George David Weiss. Everyone has heard the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” but what is not publicized is that the original song was titled “Mbube”, written and recorded by Solomon Linda in 1939 for the South African Gallo Record Company.
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