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Growing up in Holland MI every spring I hear the high school marching band play Tip Toe Through the Tulips during the Tulip Fest. So I finally went to YouTube to see what all the hype was around Tiny Tim. Well I listned to about thirty seconds and was kind of surprised to see someone who looked like Danny Divito as the Penguin, and to hear a voice that sounded like it belonged to the Lolly-Pop Guild. So please explain to me...why was Tiny Tim as popular as he was???
He was an odd looking but personable guy who sang atrociously and became something of a celebrity back in the day. When he got married in 1969 on the Johnny Carson show it was one of the most watched shows on TV up to that time. I remember many years ago before he died seeing him very early am at Chicago's O'Hare airport. Long stringy hair. Had a big shopping bag full of stuff that he was carrying around.
what was his appeal, or was he more of a novelty act?
Total novelty act. Kind of an anti-celebrity, with his outrageous appearance and lack of talent. Sort of a super-cliche hippie, like poking fun at the whole thing, I think.
Total novelty act. Kind of an anti-celebrity, with his outrageous appearance and lack of talent. Sort of a super-cliche hippie, like poking fun at the whole thing, I think.
It was the time period. He looked and dressed like a hippie, but he was just so freaking weird. I couldn't tell if he was poking fun or was serious in his very odd way. Watching him being interviewed was just painful.
He was an odd looking but personable guy who sang atrociously and became something of a celebrity back in the day. When he got married in 1969 on the Johnny Carson show it was one of the most watched shows on TV up to that time. I remember many years ago before he died seeing him very early am at Chicago's O'Hare airport. Long stringy hair. Had a big shopping bag full of stuff that he was carrying around.
Bringing this thread up to date because I was listening to community radio in my area.
And what were they playing? "Tip Toe Through The Tulips!" Aaack! Anyhoo, msging has it right here. His career was schtick, bad schtick at that, but you have to remember the times. There were a lot of phrases that I remember in the late 1960's (in this case- 1968) but to be polite, the popular saying of that era "Do your own thing" I believe would fit Tiny Tim like a glove. And IIRC, Rowan and Martin's TV show "Laugh In" is where he REALLY got discovered!
And Warner Bros. Records got a lot of mileage for it, though it didn't sell the lp's they thought it would. After three lp's on the WB/Reprise label with those lp's hitting the cutout bin in short order, I believe WB figured "Oh well, was good for laughs anyway." Then there was the wedding with Tim and Miss Vicky which was televised on the Johnny Carson Show. And believe it or not the two of them cut a 45 on that label. Later, he released other 45's on a variety of smaller labels and released one lp, can't think of that label right now (heh, just as well!)
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