Kingston Trio Founder Nick Reynolds Passes at Age 75

Nick Reynolds, a founding member of the legendary ’60s folk group the Kingston Trio, died Oct. 1 from complications following surgery. The beginning of a pop/folk movement in the late ’50s that used banjos and acoustic guitars to back up tight vocal harmonies of traditional folk songs, the Kingston Trio had a huge hit with “Tom Dooley” in 1958 that led to multiple hit albums on Capitol and a long list of groups inspired by their style. At a time when acoustic music and beautiful vocals crowded the top of the charts, the Kingston Trio led the pack, selling millions of records and creating a genre. When the change in political climate and rise of rock and roll prompted the group to split, Reynolds retired the music industry in 1967 and turned his attention to ranching and selling antiques in Oregon. He moved to Southern California in the mid-80s and performed with a new version of the Kingston Trio for a decade beginning in 1988.

The original Kingston Trio singing M.T.A.: