Philip Margo dead at 79 – Tokens singer behind ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ hit made famous in The Lion King passes away

TOKENS singer Philip Margo, famously recognized for The Lion King hit single The Lion Sleeps Tonight, passed away at 79.

According to his family, Margo died on Saturday in a hospital in Los Angeles after suffering a stroke.

Tokens singer Philip Margo passed away at 79Getty Images – Getty

The Tokens smash single, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, was featured in Disney’s 1994 movie The Lion KingAlamy

The Brooklyn native was a longtime member of The Tokens, an American doo-wop-style vocal group.

The group is famously recognized for their hit single The Lion Sleeps Tonight, which rose to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961.

The song remained number one for three weeks and became a cultural touchstone.

It skyrocketed to popularity in 1994 after Disney featured it in their movie The Lion King.

More to follow…

For the latest news on this story keep checking back at Sun Online.

The-sun.com is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sport news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.

Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheSunUS and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheUSSun.