Philip Margo was a singer with the Tokens, known for their 1961 hit “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
- Died: November 13, 2021 (Who else died on November 13?)
- Details of death: Died at a Los Angeles hospital of a stroke at the age of 79.
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The Tokens
Margo co-founded the Tokens in 1960 along with his brother, Mitch Margo (1947–2017). Playing percussion as well as singing baritone, he was just 19 years old when they recorded their biggest hit, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” An adaptation of a South African song, the tune topped the charts and became an enduring favorite, even though Margo initially felt embarrassed by it. “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” was the Tokens’ biggest success, though they also had Top 40 hits throughout the ‘60s and early ‘70s including “Big Boat,” “Ain’t That Peculiar,” and “Tastes So Good to Me.” Margo and the Tokens were also record producer, working on hits including the Chiffons’ “One Fine Day” and Tony Orlando and Dawn’s “Knock Three Times.”
After the original group disbanded in the 1970s, Margo and his brother continued performing under the name The Margo Brothers’ Tokens. In 1998, their version of the group performed the National Anthem at all 30 major league ballparks, receiving a mention by the Guinness Book of Records as the first pop group to do so. Margo was also a writer, publishing the 2010 sci-fi novel “The Null Quotient” as well as writing episodes of the sitcom “Benson.”
Margo on getting his start in music
“I was in a boy’s chorus in high school and I learned how beautiful singing was, it was in my junior year and I was kind of unspectacular. We did our first concert and our teacher asked if some of us would want to entertain at the annual spring sock hop, so I volunteered Mitch and me and we sang ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream,’ a cappella. People applauded and girls introduced themselves and that was the beginning.” —from a 2011 interview for Rare Rockin’ Records
Tributes to Philip Margo
Full obituary: The New York Times
