Made $15M Off His Song—He Died With $22 Solomon Linda (1909-1962) was a Zulu migrant worker and musician in Johannesburg, South Africa who created one of the most famous melodies in history—yet died in poverty while others made millions. In 1939, Linda and his group The Evening Birds recorded "Mbube" (meaning "lion" in Zulu), which sold over 100,000 copies and founded the mbube/isicathamiya choral tradition. Linda sold the worldwide rights to Gallo Records for ten shillings (approximately $70 in

South African Singer, Solomon Linda died penniless even though he recorded a global hit, Mbube. His family was so poor that they couldn't afford to buy a thumbstone for his grave when he died. They lived in a house without ceilings. Beyonce sampled his original song on her film, Black Is King, so the royalties will go straight to his family. | Africa Facts Zone

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

The Lion Sleeps Tonight - Kingston Trio