On this date in 1961, THE TOKENS released the single THE LION SLEEPS TONIGHT, a song with a fascinating and complex history spanning continents and decades (Oct 17, 1961) This doo-wop adaptation of a Zulu hunting song would go on to become a global phenomenon, topping the Billboard charts and sparking a legacy of covers, controversy, and eventual legal battles. The journey of this melody began in 1939 when Solomon Linda, a Zulu singer working as a cleaner for Gallo Record Company in Johannesburg