When Billy Joel was a guest on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this year Jimmy asked him to participate in an impromptu a cappella (doo wop) performance of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. As I write this almost 10,000,000 people have enjoyed the performance on YouTube. I’m sorry to say that the original video was taken down. But here is Billy Joel performing the song live.
The song was first recorded by The Tokens in 1961. Here is an undated live performance by The Tokens that was uploaded to YouTube in 2013.
In 1971 Robert John (best known for “Sad Eyes”) released a cover version of the song that was very popular that year.
South African vocal groups Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Mint Juleps performed the song live in this undated concert. The video was uploaded to YouTube in 2008.
In 2012 a group of Britons formed the Ukelele Flash Mob. This is their inaugural video, with hundreds of people performing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” live in Trafalgar Square, London.