Earth Angel, Sexy, and Tiptoe by Tiny Tim

by Dick Mac

When the LP "God Bless Tiny Tim" appeared in my mother's record collection in 1968, it was a life-altering experience.

I had thought of comedy and vinyl as being simple recordings of radio broadcasts, like "The Bickersons" or elaborate hoaxes like "The First Family."  Yet, I wasn't sure if Tiny Tim was a comedian or not.

It was the 1960s.  Everything was changing.  Was Tiny Tim a Bobby Vinton or a Bill Cosby?  Quickly, it didn't matter.

Tiny Tim was appearing on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, The Tonight Show, The Mike Douglas Show and seemingly everywhere a camera was recording.

I watched his wedding to Miss Vicki on the Tonight Show.

I was thrilled years later when he recorded Stairway To Heaven with the equally engaging Brave Combo.

Born Herbert Khaury, on April 12, 1932, in Manhattan, his first break was in an underground movie in which he sang "Be My Baby" and "I Got You Babe."  I learned recently that these cuts were recorded with Robbie Robertson, later of The Band.  New York City is a small place.

Tiny Tim suffered a heart attack while performing in Montague, Massachusetts, in September, 1996.  He succumbed to a second heart attack on November 30, 1996, in Minneapolis.

Below are Tiny Tim singing "Earth Angel" on The Mike Douglas Show, a music video for "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" and the original footage of Tiny Tim singing "Tiptoe Through The Tulips" on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

Tiny Tim Official (Memorial) site

The Tiny Tim Videos Blog

Information was taken from the Tiny Tim article at wikipedia.org.