Tiny Tim

Tiny Tim began developing a cult following in New York City around 1967. This brought him to the attention of film-maker Barry Feinstein, who was working with Peter Yarrow on the anti-establishment hippy cult movie You Are What You Eat. They invited Tiny Tim out to the famous "Big Pink" house on the outskirts of Woodstock, New York, where Bob Dylan and the Band had been woodshedding and recording. They filmed him performing several songs which were featured in the movie. The movie led to an appearance on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, which brought him into the national spotlight.

With an extraordinary appearance and unforgettable high falsetto/vibrato voice, Tiny Tim began appearing on popular television shows with people like Ed Sullivan, Jackie Gleason and Johnny Carson. He was usually encouraged to sing his one big hit, "Tip-Toe Thru The Tulips." Standing at over six feet tall, with his long curly hair, large nose and tiny ukulele, Tiny Tim definitely stood out. Although pigeonholed as a novelty act, Tiny Tim was not just a comedian. He was actually an archivist of early 20th century music and had a wide knowledge of American music from that era. His concert repertoire contained songs by a wide variety of composers, many of them obscure. His live performances, for example, could contain a serious Irving Berlin composition one moment and Sony and Cher's "I Got You Babe" the next.

Tiny Tim continued to perform until his death before a concert in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He died of a heart attack. He was 64.