The earliest published version of "Darlin' Corey" occurs as verses within the song "The Gambling Man", collected from oral tradition by Cecil Sharp, as sung by Mrs. Clercy Deeton, at Mine Fork, Burnsville, N.C., on Sept. 19, 1918. There are some similarities to "Little Maggie". Burl Ives recorded "Darlin' Cory" it in his debut album Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger (issued August 1941 with liner notes by Alan Lomax). It is the title song for Pete Seeger’s 7”LP from Folkways. It was also recorded by Buell Kazee, Flatt and Scruggs, Roscoe Holcomb, John Hartford, Doc Watson, The Weavers, Bill Monroe and others. More recently, it was recorded by The Kingston Trio. I learned it first from their recording and then from Pete Seeger. It was printed in John and Alan Lomax's Best Loved American Folk Songs and Alan Lomax's Folk Songs of North America.