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Herbert Butros Khaury
Tiny Tim: Tiptoe Through A Lifetime
', Lowell Tarling, Generation Books, 2013, p. 29,
(April 12, 1932 November 30, 1996), also known as Herbert Buckingham Khaury, and known professionally as Tiny Tim, was an American singer,
ukulele The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings. The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
player, and musical
archivist An archivist is an information professional who assesses, collects, organizes, preserves, maintains control over, and provides access to Document, records and archives determined to have long-term value. The records maintained by an archivist c ...
. He is best remembered for his cover hits "
Tiptoe Through the Tulips "Tiptoe Through the Tulips", also known as "Tip Toe Through the Tulips with Me", is a popular song published in 1929. The song was written by Al Dubin (lyrics) and Joe Burke (music) and made popular by guitarist Nick Lucas. On February 5, 1968, ...
" and "
Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight" is a popular song that was written by Al Sherman and Al Lewis for the 1930 film ''The Big Pond'' starring Maurice Chevalier, who made it famous. On March 22, 1930 Bing Crosby and the Paul White ...
", which he sang in a
falsetto ''Falsetto'' (, ; Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous ed ...
voice.


Early life

Khaury was born in
Manhattan, New York City Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
, on April 12, 1932. His mother Tillie (née Staff), a Polish-Jewish garment worker, was the daughter of a
rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
. She had immigrated from Brest-Litovsk, present-day
Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
, as a teen in 1914. Khaury's father, Butros Khaury, was a textile worker from
Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
, present-day
Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
, whose father was a
Maronite The Maronites ( ar, الموارنة; syr, ܡܖ̈ܘܢܝܐ) are a Christian ethnoreligious group native to the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant region of the Middle East, whose members traditionally belong to the Maronite Church, with the larges ...
Catholic priest. Khaury displayed musical talent at a very young age. At the age of five, his father gave him a vintage wind-up Gramophone and a 78-RPM record of "Beautiful Ohio" by Henry Burr. He would sit for hours listening to the record. At the age of six, he began teaching himself
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...
. By his pre-teen years, he developed a passion for records, specifically those from the 1900s through the 1930s. He began spending most of his free time at the
New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...
, reading about the history of the phonograph industry and its first recording artists. He researched sheet music, often making photographic copies to take home to learn, a hobby he continued for his entire life. He attended George Washington High School in Washington Heights, Manhattan. Khaury was a devout
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
.


Life and career

By the time Khaury was 11 years old, he began learning to play the violin and enjoyed performing at home for his parents' entertainment. He later picked up the mandolin and the ukulelethe latter of which became his signature instrument. During recovery from having his appendix removed in 1945, he read the Bible and listened to music on the radio; after his recovery, he rarely left his room except to go to school, where he was described as a mediocre student. He dropped out of high school after continuously repeating his sophomore year, taking a series of menial jobs. In a 1968 interview on ''
The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...
'', he described the discovery of his ability to sing in an upper register: "I was listening to the radio and singing along; as I was singing I said 'Gee, it's strange. I can go up high as well.'" In a 1969 interview he said he was listening to
Rudy Vallée Hubert Prior Vallée (July 28, 1901 – July 3, 1986), known professionally as Rudy Vallée, was an American singer, musician, actor, and radio host. He was one of the first modern pop stars of the teen idol type. Early life Hubert Prior Vall ...
sing in a falsetto, and "had something of a revelationI never knew that I had another top register," describing it as a religious experience. By the early 1950s, Khaury had landed a job as a messenger at the New York office of
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...
Studios, where he became ever more fascinated with the entertainment industry. He then entered a local talent show and sang "
You Are My Sunshine "You Are My Sunshine" is a song published by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell on January 30, 1940. According to Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI), the song has been recorded by over 350 artists and translated into 30 languages. In 1977, the Louisi ...
" in his newly discovered falsetto. He started performing at dance club amateur nights under different names, such as Texarkana Tex, Judas K. Foxglove, Vernon Castle, and Emmett Swink. To stand out from the crowd of performers, he wore wild clothing and, after seeing an old poster of a long-haired Rudolph Valentino, grew his own hair out to shoulder length and wore pasty white facial makeup. His mother did not understand Herbert's change in appearance and was intending to take her son, now in his twenties, to see a psychiatrist at
Bellevue Hospital Bellevue Hospital (officially NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue and formerly known as Bellevue Hospital Center) is a hospital in New York City and the oldest public hospital in the United States. One of the largest hospitals in the United States ...
until his father stepped in. In 1959, he dropped all his other stage names and performed as "Larry Love, the Singing Canary" at Hubert's Museum and Live Flea Circus in New York City's
Times Square Times Square is a major commercial intersection, tourist destination, entertainment hub, and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is formed by the junction of Broadway, Seventh Avenue, and 42nd Street. Together with adjacent ...
. While performing there, he signed with a manager who sent him on auditions throughout the
Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...
section of New York, where he performed unpaid amateur gigs, playing the ukulele and singing in his falsetto voice the song which became his signature, "
Tiptoe Through the Tulips "Tiptoe Through the Tulips", also known as "Tip Toe Through the Tulips with Me", is a popular song published in 1929. The song was written by Al Dubin (lyrics) and Joe Burke (music) and made popular by guitarist Nick Lucas. On February 5, 1968, ...
". Film critic
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
wrote:
I first saw Tiny Tim very early in his career, in Greenwich Village in the winter of 1962–63. There was a convention of college newspaper editors, and a few of usI remember
Jeff Greenfield Jeffrey Greenfield (born June 10, 1943) is an American television journalist and author. Early life He was born in New York City, to Benjamin and Helen Greenfield. He grew up in Manhattan and graduated in 1960 from the Bronx High School of Sci ...
coming alongwent to the Black Pussycat and found ourselves being entertained by a man the likes of whom we'd not seen before. He was already locally popular.
In 1963, he landed his first paying gig at Page 3, a gay and lesbian club in Greenwich Village, playing 6 hours a night and 6 nights a week for $96 per month. For the next two years, he performed as "Dary Dover", and after that, "Sir Timothy Timms". After being booked to follow a "midget" act, his manager, George King, billed the Khaury using the ironic stage name "Tiny Tim", which would later become his signature name. Tiny Tim appeared in Jack Smith's ''
Normal Love ''Normal Love'' is an experimental film project by American director Jack Smith (film director), Jack Smith. It shows the adventures of an ensemble of glamorously dressed monsters. Smith filmed the project in 1963 and began screening the work in pi ...
'' (1963), as well as the independent feature film ''
You Are What You Eat ''You Are What You Eat'' is a British dieting programme presented by Trisha Goddard and Amir Khan that broadcasts on Channel 5. The show was originally broadcast on Channel 4, before moving to Channel 5 in 2022 for its revived series. Both t ...
'' (1968) in which he sang the Ronettes song "
Be My Baby "Be My Baby" is a song by American girl group the Ronettes that was released as a single on Philles Records in August 1963. Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, and Phil Spector, the song was the Ronettes' biggest hit, reaching number 2 in ...
" in his falsetto range; also featured was a rendition of
Sonny and Cher Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s, made up of husband and wife Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector. The pair f ...
's "
I Got You Babe "I Got You Babe" is a song performed by Sonny & Cher and written by Sonny Bono. It was the first single taken from their debut studio album '' Look at Us''. In August 1965, their single spent three weeks at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 1 ...
", with Tim singing the
Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
parts in his falsetto voice, along with
Eleanor Barooshian Eleanor Barooshian (April 2, 1950 – August 30, 2016), also known as Eleanor Baruchian and as Chelsea Lee, was a member of the band the Cake (formed in New York in 1966). In 1967, Barooshian appeared in ''You Are What You Eat'', a documentary fil ...
singing
Sonny Bono Salvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono (; February 16, 1935 – January 5, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and politician who came to fame in partnership with his second wife Cher as the popular singing duo Sonny & Cher. A member of the Republica ...
's baritone part. These tracks were recorded with musicians who later joined The Band. The "I Got You Babe" performance led to a booking on the premiere episode of ''
Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'' (often simply referred to as ''Laugh-In'') is an American sketch comedy television program that ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to March 12, 1973, on the NBC television network, hosted by comedians Da ...
'', a popular American television comedy-variety show. Co-host
Dan Rowan Daniel Hale Rowan (July 22, 1922 – September 22, 1987) was an American actor and comedian. He was featured in the television show ''Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In'', wherein he played straight man to Dick Martin and won the 1969 Emmy for Outstandi ...
announced that ''Laugh-In'' believed in showcasing new talent, and so Tiny Tim was introduced. The singer entered carrying a shopping bag, pulled his
Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...
soprano ukulele from it, and sang a medley of "
A-Tisket, A-Tasket "A Tisket A Tasket" is a nursery rhyme first recorded in America in the late nineteenth century. It was used as the basis for a very successful and highly regarded 1938 recording by Ella Fitzgerald, composed by Fitzgerald in conjunction with Al Fe ...
" and "
On the Good Ship Lollipop "On the Good Ship Lollipop" is a song composed by Richard A. Whiting with lyrics by Sidney Clare. It was the signature song of child actress Shirley Temple. Temple first sang it in the 1934 film, '' Bright Eyes''. In the song, the "Good Ship ...
" as an apparently genuinely dumbfounded co-host Dick Martin watched. For his third appearance on ''Laugh-In'', (season 1, episode 14, aired 4/22/1968) Tiny Tim entered blowing kisses, preceded by an elaborate procession of the cast and, after a short interview, he sang "
Tiptoe Through the Tulips "Tiptoe Through the Tulips", also known as "Tip Toe Through the Tulips with Me", is a popular song published in 1929. The song was written by Al Dubin (lyrics) and Joe Burke (music) and made popular by guitarist Nick Lucas. On February 5, 1968, ...
". In 1968, his first album ''
God Bless Tiny Tim ''God Bless Tiny Tim'' is the first album by Tiny Tim. Released in 1968 on the Reprise label, it included "Tiptoe Through The Tulips" (the song which made him famous), a version of "I Got You Babe", and a collection of obscure songs. Many of th ...
'' was released, which contained an orchestrated version of "Tiptoe Through the Tulips", which became a hit after being released as a single. ''For All My Little Friends'' (1969) was a collection of children's songs and was awarded a
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
nomination. On October 7, 1969, Tiny Tim had the opportunity to take to the ice with his favorite
Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
pro sports team before a charity event at the hockey shrine
Maple Leaf Gardens Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was initially constructed in 1931 as an arena to host ice hockey games, though it has sinc ...
. Wearing the skates and jersey of future Hockey Hall of Fame member Pat Quinn and helped by team members Mike Walton and Jim McKenny, he made an attempt to skate for the very first time. He was quoted as saying, "What a thrill! Just being on the ice was great!" Reacting well to his evidenced inability to skate on his own, he said, "I was always athletic spiritually, not physically". Tiny Tim was married three times, and had one daughter from his first marriage to the then 17-year-old Victoria Budingeralso known as "Miss Vicki"at the age of 37. Tiny Tim married Miss Vicki on ''
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' was an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the ''Tonight Show'' franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, ...
'' on December 17, 1969, with 40 million people watching. In 1971, Budinger gave birth to their daughter Tulip Victoria. Tiny Tim and Victoria Budinger divorced three years later. Budinger subsequently had several marriages. Tiny Tim married Jan Alweiss ("Miss Jan") in 1984, and Susan Marie Gardner ("Miss Sue") in 1995. Gardner was a 39-year-old Harvard graduate and a fan of Tim's since she was 12. When Tiny Tim first became well known to the American public, many people erroneously believed that he was British. Many pundits and journalists debated whether the character being presented was just an orchestrated act or the real thing. "It quickly became clear that he was genuine", however, and that he could probably be best described as "a lonely outcast intoxicated by fame" and "a romantic" always in pursuit of his ideal dream. After his career highlights in the late 1960s, Tiny Tim's television appearances dwindled, and his popularity began to wane. He continued to play concerts, making several lucrative appearances in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
. In August 1970, he performed "
There'll Always Be an England "There'll Always Be an England" is an English patriotic song, written and distributed in the summer of 1939, which became highly popular following the outbreak of the Second World War. It was composed and written by Ross Parker and Hughie Charl ...
" to an estimated 600,000 people at the
Isle of Wight Festival 1970 The Isle of Wight Festival 1970 was a music festival held between 26 and 31 August 1970 at Afton Down, an area on the western side of the Isle of Wight in England. It was the last of three consecutive music festivals to take place on the islan ...
. The UK press announced that he had stolen the show "without a single electric instrument". When his recording contract ended with
Reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repe ...
, he founded his own record label and named it Vic Tim Records, as a pun on the combination of his wife's name with that of his own. He performed with the American alternative rock band
Camper Van Beethoven Camper Van Beethoven is an American rock band formed in Redlands, California in 1983, later based in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Their style mixes elements of pop, ska, punk rock, folk, alternative country, and world music. The band init ...
in 1986. He played the lead role in the 1987 horror film '' Blood Harvest'', acting the role of Mervo. In the 1990s, he released several albums, including ''Rock'' (1993), ''I Love Me'' (1993), and ''Girl'' (1996). ''Tiny Tim'', a biography by Harry Stein, was published in 1976 by Playboy Press. Khaury also appeared in the
WWE World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
on July 19, 1993, in a skit with
Jerry Lawler Jerry O'Neil Lawler (born November 29, 1949), better known as Jerry "The King" Lawler, is an American color commentator and professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, although he has not performed as a full-time commentator since Ap ...
on "King's Court".


Instruments

Tiny Tim played the ukulele left-handedthough he retained the standard string placementand played the guitar right-handed. The instruments he played included a vintage
Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...
, a Favilla, and a Johnston metal
resonator A resonator is a device or system that exhibits resonance or resonant behavior. That is, it naturally oscillates with greater amplitude at some frequencies, called resonant frequencies, than at other frequencies. The oscillations in a resonator ...
. Tiny was a huge fan of
Arthur Godfrey Arthur Morton Godfrey (August 31, 1903 – March 16, 1983) was an American radio and television broadcaster and entertainer who was sometimes introduced by his nickname The Old Redhead. At the peak of his success, in the early-to-mid 1950s, Godf ...
and taught himself to play using a method book that came with the Godfrey-endorsed Maccaferri Islander plastic ukulele.


Death

On September 28, 1996, Tiny recorded a video interview at the Montague Bookmill. He later suffered a heart attack at a ukulele festival at the nearby Montague Grange Hall in
Montague, Massachusetts Montague is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,580 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts metropolitan statistical area. The villages of Montague Center, Montague City, Lake ...
. He was hospitalized at the nearby Franklin County Medical Center in Greenfield for approximately three weeks before being discharged with strong admonitions not to perform again because of his health, weight, and dietary needs for his diabetic and heart conditions. He ignored the advice. On November 30, 1996, he was playing at a gala benefit hosted by the Women's Club of Minneapolis. He had let his third wife ("Miss Sue") know before the show that he was not feeling well, but did not want to disappoint his fans. Before the start of his performance, most of the audience had left. While performing his last number of the evening, he suffered another heart attack on stage in the middle of a rendition of his hit, "Tiptoe Through the Tulips". His wife asked him if he was feeling all right, and he said he was not; she was helping him back to their table where he collapsed, and never regained consciousness. EMTs performed on-site
CPR Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore sponta ...
and transported him to
Hennepin County Medical Center Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) is a Level I adult and pediatric trauma center and safety net hospital in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the county seat of Hennepin County. The primary 484-bed facility is on six city blocks across the street from ...
, where after repeated revival attempts, he was pronounced dead at 11:20 pm. His remains are entombed in a
mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...
in
Lakewood Cemetery Lakewood Cemetery is a large private, non-sectarian cemetery located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. It is located at 3600 Hennepin Avenue at the southern end of the Uptown area. It is noted for its chapel which is on the National R ...
in
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
. A large mural of Tiny Tim with tulip themes by famous Australian artist
Martin Sharp Martin Ritchie Sharp (21 January 1942 – 1 December 2013) was an Australian artist, cartoonist, songwriter and film-maker. Career Sharp was born in Bellevue Hill, New South Wales in 1942, and educated at Cranbrook private school, where one ...
is in the Macquarie University Student Council in Sydney, Australia.


Posthumous releases

In 2000, the
Rhino Handmade Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus. History Founded in 1978, Rhino was original ...
label released the posthumous ''
Tiny Tim Live at the Royal Albert Hall Tiny Tim Live! At the Royal Albert Hall is a live album by American singer Tiny Tim (musician), Tiny Tim, recorded at The Royal Albert Hall in 1968, but not commercially released until 2000 by Rhino Records. ''Live! At the Royal Albert Hall'' is ...
''. This recording had been made in 1968 at the height of Tiny Tim's fame, but Reprise Records never released it. The limited-number CD sold out and was reissued on Rhino's regular label. In 2009, the Collector's Choice label released ''I've Never Seen a Straight Banana: Rare Moments Vol. 1'', produced and recorded by
Richard Barone Richard Barone is an American rock musician who first gained attention as frontman for the Bongos. He works as a songwriter, arranger, author, director, and record producer, releases albums as a solo artist, tours, and has created concert event ...
in 1976. The album was a collection of rare recordings of some of Tiny Tim's favorite songs from 1878 through the 1930s, along with some of his own compositions. In 2009, it was reported that Justin Martell was preparing a biography of Tiny Tim, released in 2016 under the title ''Eternal Troubadour: The Improbable Life of Tiny Tim''. Martell is called one of America's "foremost experts" on Tiny Tim; he contributed liner notes to ''I've Never Seen a Straight Banana'' and the 2011 Tiny Tim compilation LP ''Tiny Tim: Lost & Found 1963–1974 (Rare & Unreleased)'', released on Secret Seven Records. In 2013, a biography of Tiny Tim was released in two editions. ''Tiny Tim: Tiptoe Through A Lifetime'' was released July 16, 2013, and is by Lowell Tarling (author) and Martin Sharp (illustrator). Ship To Shore PhonoCo followed up ''Lost & Found Vol 1'' with a ''Vol 2'' featuring Tiny Tim's 1974 live recording of "(Nobody Else Can Love Me Like) My Old Tomato Can" on a limited edition wax cylinder. In 2016, Ship To Shore PhonoCo released ''Tiny Tim's America'', a collection of demos recorded by Tiny Tim in 1974 and finished in 2015 with overdubs overseen by producer Richard Barone and Tiny Tim's cousin Eddie Rabin. The album was subtitled "Rare Moments Vol. 2" and was presented as a spiritual sequel to 2009's ''I've Never Seen A Straight Banana: Rare Moments Vol 1.'' In 2020, Swedish journalist and documentary film-maker Johan von Sydow released the documentary film ''Tiny Tim: King for a Day''.Filmrecension: Fascinerande film om artisten Tiny Tim
svt.se


Honors and awards

Tiny Tim was honored with a star on the outside mural of the
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
nightclub First Avenue, recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue. Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh.


Discography


Studio albums

*''
God Bless Tiny Tim ''God Bless Tiny Tim'' is the first album by Tiny Tim. Released in 1968 on the Reprise label, it included "Tiptoe Through The Tulips" (the song which made him famous), a version of "I Got You Babe", and a collection of obscure songs. Many of th ...
'' (
Reprise Records Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels. Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Enya, Michael ...
, 1968) *''Tiny Tim's 2nd Album'' (Reprise Records, 1968) *''For All My Little Friends'' (Reprise Records, 1969), Nominated for a Grammy Award. *''Wonderful World of Romance'' (Street of Dreams YPRX 1724, 1980) *''Chameleon'' (Street of Dreams YPRX 1848, 1980) *''The Eternal Troubadour'' (Playback PBL 123441, 1986) *''Tiptoe Through The Tulips: Resurrection'' (
Bear Family Records Bear Family Records is a Germany-based independent record label, that specializes in reissues of archival material, ranging from country music to 1950s rock and roll to old German movie soundtracks. History The label has been in existence since ...
BCD 15409, 1988) *''Leave Me Satisfied'' (NLT 1993, 1989), Unreleased *''Tiny Tim Rock'' (Regular Records, 1993) *''I Love Me'' (Yucca Tree Records, 1993) *''Songs of an Impotent Troubadour'' (Durtro, 1994) *''Tiny Tim's Christmas Album 1994'' (
Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by Al ...
, 1994) *''Prisoner of Love: A Tribute to Russ Columbo'' (Vinyl Retentive Productions, 1995) *''Girl'' (with
Brave Combo Brave Combo is a polka/ rock/ worldbeat band based in Denton, Texas. Founded in 1979 by guitarist/keyboardist/accordionist Carl Finch, they have been a prominent fixture in the Texas music scene for more than thirty-five years. Their music, bot ...
)
(Rounder Records, 1996)


Compilation albums

* ''With Love and Kisses from Tiny Tim: Concert in Fairyland'' (Bouquet SLP 711, 1962) * ''God Bless Tiny Tim: The Complete Reprise Studio Masters...And More'' (Rhino Handmade, 2006, 3-CD set) * ''Wonderful World of Romance'' (Zero Communications, TTWW 12062, 2006, recorded in 1979) * ''Stardust'' (Zero Communications, TTST 12063, 2006) *''I've Never Seen a Straight Banana – Rare Moments Vol. 1'' (Collectors Choice Music WWCCM 20582) (2009) *''Tiny Tim: Lost & Found (Rare & Unreleased 1963–1974)'' (Secret Seven Records, 2011, compilation) *''Tiny Tim's America'' (Ship to Shore Phonograph Company, 2016, previously unreleased) ''"Store Page – Tiny Tim's America"''
Ship To Shore PhonoCo. Retrieved June 6, 2017


Live albums

* ''World Non-Stop Singing Record Brighton 1988'' (1988) * ''Live in Chicago with the New Duncan Imperials'' (1995, Pravda Records) * ''Tiny Tim Unplugged'' (Tomanna 51295, 1996) *''The Eternal Troubadour: Tiny Tim Live in London'' (Durtro, 1997, recorded in 1995) *'' Tiny Tim Live! At the Royal Albert Hall'' (
Rhino Handmade Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus. History Founded in 1978, Rhino was original ...
, 2000, recorded in 1968)


Guest appearance

* ''The Beatles' 1968 Christmas Record'' (Lyntone, LYN 1743/4, 1968) * ''The Heart Album'' (Ca-Song CA 1369), 1991


Singles

* "April Showers" / "Little Girl" (Blue Cat 127, 1966) * "Be My Love" / "Oh How I Miss You Tonight" (Boquet 101, 1968) * "On The Good Ship Lollipop" / "Don't Take Your Love from Me" (Boquet 102, 1968) * "Bring Back Those Rockabye Baby Days" / "This Is All I Ask" (Reprise 0760, 1968) * "Tip-Toe Thru' the Tulips with Me" /"Fill Your Heart" (Reprise 0679, 1968) * "Hello, Hello" / "The Other Side" (Reprise 0769, 1968) * "Great Balls of Fire" / "As Time Goes By" (Reprise 0802, 1969) * "On The Good Ship Lollipop" / "America I Love You" (Reprise 0837, 1969) * "Neighborhood Children" / "Mickey The Monkey" (Reprise 0855, 1969) * "I'm A Lonesome Little Raindrop" / "What the World Needs Now Is Love" (Reprise 0867, 1969) * "Don't Bite The Hand That's Feeding You" / "What Kind of American Are You?" (Reprise 0939, 1970) * "Tip Toe to the Gas Pumps" / "The Hickey (On Your Neck)" (Clouds Records, 1979)


EP

* ''Keeping My Troubles to Myself'' (1983) ;Discography notes


References


External links


Photos of Tiny Tim by Robert Whitaker
* *


Tiny Tim's tomb at Roadside America
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FBI Records: The Vault – Herbert Khaury (Tiny Tim)
at fbi.gov * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tiny Tim (Musician) 1932 births 1996 deaths 20th-century American singers American novelty song performers American people of Belarusian-Jewish descent American people of Lebanese descent American people of Polish-Jewish descent American ukulele players Apex Records artists Burials at Lakewood Cemetery Countertenors Jewish American musicians Musicians from Minneapolis Musicians from New York City Musicians who died on stage Outsider musicians People from Manhattan Reprise Records artists 20th-century American male singers