Yesterday I was looking at these sickening pictures of Steven Cojocaru, the self proclaimed fashion correspondent from The Insider, (UGH), and wondering who does he remind me of?
Then it hit me! He reminds me of Tiny Tim, the "beloved" (LOL) ukulele player, whom I had the privilege of meeting once as he stood next to me in a grocery store in Des Moines, Iowa. Let's take a moment to remember Tiny... shall we? Poor Tiny.. if only they had had plastic surgery back in the sixties the way they do now, perhaps he could have looked as good as Cojo.
Tiny, in happier times, and deep in thought. Wait! Who does this photo of Tiny remind me of... I know! Skeletor!
Skeletor: A deep thinker, just like Tiny
Tiny was born Herbert Khaury, and I'm sure he was a beautiful baby. By the early '60s, Tiny had gained a cult following around the Greenwich Village music scene, particularly after he began to incorporate bizarre renditions of contemporary songs into his repertoire. He finally settled on the name Tiny Tim after the character in Dickens' A Christmas Carol, because Tiny had worked with alot of midgets. I don't know what that has to do with anything.
Tim's appearance in the film You Are What You Eat led to a booking on the hugely popular comedy series Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. He was an instant sensation; whether or not he was seen as an object of ridicule, no one had ever seen anything like him. He appeared several more times on Laugh-In, and became a frequent guest on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, also performing on the Ed Sullivan and Jackie Gleason variety shows.
His eccentric personality became as well-known as his music: he was obsessed with bodily cleanliness, and his distaste for sex seemed logical when paired with his gentle, asexual demeanor, or, as some would now call it, his obvious gayness.
A hot commodity, Tim signed a record deal with Reprise and issued his debut album, God Bless Tiny Tim, in 1968. (As a small child, I was forced to hear this album, because my mother is a corny freak) His signature rendition of "Tip-Toe Through the Tulips" became a hit, and the LP sold over 200,000 copies.
Tiny with the only beverage he ever drank: Hawaiian Fruit Punch
On December 17 of that year, Tim married his girlfriend, 17-year-old Victoria Budinger (known as Miss Vicki, in typically respectful Tim fashion), on the Johnny Carson show. The couple later had a daughter, Tulip, but mostly lived apart, and divorced after eight years. Following his wedding, Tim continued to perform around the country.
Much like Cojo, Tiny was quite the fashion trend setter
Shockingly, by the early '70s, perhaps due to simple familiarity, (or because people were just sick of his gruesome face and horrible voice,) America's fascination with Tiny Tim had waned. Even after the TV appearances and high-profile gigs dried up, Tim kept plugging away, performing whenever and wherever he could. He recorded steadily for a series of mostly small labels throughout the 70's and 80's.
He remarried in 1984 to 23-year-old Miss Jan. They lived apart most of the time and the marriage lasted until 1994. Tim joined a circus for 36 weeks.
In the late '80s, he moved to Des Moines, IA. In 1986, he died on stage at a ukulele festival. (See photo)Literally moments after this photo was taken, poor Tiny was dead
and it was the end of an era, and sadly, his beautiful music that had warmed the hearts of so many. He was buried clutching his beloved ukulele, and with a sweet smile on his face
You guys, leave me some comments! You don't even have to sign in. Is there anyone you'd like to see a story about? It's Saturday, and there isn't much going on, so let me know! Also, how do you feel about Tiny? Are you familiar with his "music", and did this story make you want to hear Tiny's music? Perhaps there will be a renewed interest in his albums now!
