Tom "Dooley" Dula

The local legend and story of Tom Dooley in song. I play it the traditional way. My singing is a little squeaky at first. The portraits of Tom and Laura are done by my high school art teacher Edith Ferguson Carter.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Tom
• Dooley
• Dula
• Laura
• Foster
• Wilkes
• Caldwell
• clawhammer
• banjo
• doc
• watson

[zuneii]

A very pleasing rendition of a one of my favorite tunes. As I novice clawhammer player I've made it one of my goals to be able to play a passable verison of Tom Dooley. I don't suppose you happen to have a tab lying around for this? Keep up the nice frailin'.

[buckhendrix]

@zuneii Thanks for the kind words. Tom Dooley and Laura Foster are buried about 10 minutes from my house. This is a story I've heard all my life. No tab. I can't read music. My banjo is in this tuning...g D G C D

[derekwhitenz]

Love this version!!! ( Banjo rocks!) One of my references states Dula (Du-luh?) is of Cajun (French Louisina) origin. When Tom was paroled at the end of the war he (being illiterate) couldn't spell his name and the union parole officer (not familiar with the name) wrote down 'Dooley'. That spelling stuck for some time. Myth or Fact? - any thoughts from you Southern historians?

[buckhendrix]

@derekwhitenz Cajun? Never heard that. I do know several white Dulas in this neck of the woods that are red headed. 

[TennesseeShine]

Great frailing and good folksy voice to match! Only a homegrown good ol' Southern Boy can sing and play like that.

[buckhendrix]

@TennesseeShine Thanks. I am homegrown, and Southern, and I try to be good.

[buckhendrix]

@Gerd3008 Thank You Sir.

[Gerd3008]

Hi, You made a very interesting and good song about Tom Dooley in a

traditional kind ! Your lyrics and also the video are very good !!

Please visit me on my channel...look for Tom Dooley and Laura Foster (=Part 1)-

sorry - in "Acky-Breacky-Heart-Rhythm"-. Part 2....with Ann Melton I wanted

to make in the next time....(OK ????)...

Best wishes from Gerd Spielmann (=Tom T. Foxx) Germany

[kat274061]

From this Wilkes native...great job!

[fordtruxdad]

@derekwhitenz I'm from NC and I never heard of Tom Dula being Cajun. Many old folks ( and still a few middle-aged country folks like myself ) pronounce a lot of words ending with "a" as an "ee" or "ey" sound- e.g. "No-ey" and the ark, "Laur-ey" Foster, fried "ok-rey". Just my take on the situation.

[buckhendrix]

@appalachianbanjer Yes. I live about ten miles from where it all went down. Laura Foster's grave can be seen right off the road in Happy Valley. Doc Watson also lives nearby. I follow his version but I play it in C on the banjo so I can sing it better. You know, B string up to C. I guess you could say I mix Doc and Frank Proffitt's version to make it my own. Thanks for watching.

[appalachianbanjer]

Im a banjer picker from southwest Virginia and ILove the way you play this song. Is this version native to your local area? Would love to learn your style on this song if you could contact me on here or wesmaloyed@yahoo.com

I prichateya