Abraham, Martin and John by Dion

It was fifty years ago today that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The death of Dr. King sent shock waves through the nation, with race riots taking place in Washington, D.C., Chicago, Baltimore, Louisville, Kansas City, and several other cities. James Farmer, Jr. and other civil rights leaders reminded people of Dr. King's message of nonvioelnce. President Lyndon B. Johnson declared April 7 a national day of mourning for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It was only a few months later that Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated on June 6 1968. The murders of two men of significance in American society so close together would have a lasting impact on American popular culture. Part of that impact was the composition of the song "Abraham, Martin and John" by Dick Holler. The song was a tribute to four men who had been assassinated: President Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., President John F. Kennedy, and Robert Kennedy. The song was recorded by Dion and released in August 1968. It peaked at no. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went all the way to no. 1 on the Canadian RPM 100.

Here is Dion in a clip from The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour performing the song "Abraham, Martin and John".