#Who sang wimoweh movie#

One theory is that the song is actually about a Zulu chief – it appears chiefs in Zulu tribes are often called lions.

The song has also been covered by: The New Christy Minstrels, Pete Seeger, Chet Atkins, Desmond Dekker, The Tremeloes (on their album Silence is Golden), Brian Eno, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, R.E.M., ‘N Sync, The Muppets, Baha Men, and The Mavericks.In 1972, American Robert John recorded The Lion Sleeps Tonight.

#Who sang wimoweh movie#

When Walt Disney used the song in the movie The Lion King, it earned mega-royalties, none of which went to Solomon Linda’s family. Solomon Linda made very little from the song and his descendants live in poverty, hence the laswsuit.In 1961 it was a #1 US hit for The Tokens. By the 1950s it was internationally known having been covered by a number of folk artists.Solomon Linda recorded it with South African band, The Evening Birds.It was written and recorded in 1939 by a South African national named Solomon Linda and was originally in Zulu only.The Lion Sleeps Tonight was originally simply called, Mbube.Robert’s last record release was a Greatest Hits album released in 1992.By the 1980s he’d had a number of singles but only one made it onto the charts Sad Eyes, released in 1979.In 1967, he signed with Columbia and recorded a number of singles before signing with A&M and releasing The Lion Sleeps Tonight.By 1965 he’d changed his name to Robert John and signed with MGM. Back then he was going under his real name, Bobby Pedrick.Five years later he was heading a band named, Bobby & The Consoles who had a hit with My Jelly Bean. That was back in 1958 and the song was called White Bucks and Saddle Shoes.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Robert was only 12 years old when he first made it onto the US singles chart.Seven years later he made it to #1 with Sad Eyes. A two hit wonder, Robert John peaked at #3 on the US charts in 1972 with The Lion Sleeps Tonight, sometimes called The Wimoweh Song.