Tiny Tim's Backstory Is Even More Twisted Than People First Imagined
The most famous ukulele player of all time is also one of the strangest-ever musical performers: Tiny Tim. His quavering falsetto, accompanied by his ukulele strumming, somehow earned him a spot on the Billboard Top 100, but his sound also alienated listeners. Audiences either loved or hated the performer. Reaching startling highs and lows, Tiny Tim captivated audiences in the mid-20th century, though we’re only now learning how bizarre his life truly was.
Famous legacy
Tiny Tim’s best-known hit can be found on his album, God Bless Tiny Tim. In 1968, the song “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” ascended the Billboard Top 100 and made it all the way to the 17th spot. The man behind the high voice, who called himself Tiny Tim, was actually Herbert Khaury. Fans recognized right away that he was a little bit different.
The appeal
"I hope I don't give music a bad name," he said. Herbert wasn’t impressively skilled on the ukulele, but had an encyclopedic knowledge of songs. He could play hundreds of them. This dedication to performing led to Herbert associating with a plethora of celebrities like Bing Crosby, Bob Dylan, Zaza Gabor, George Harrison, John Wayne, and Jim Morrison.
Tough start
When Herbert was growing up, he spent a lot of his childhood retreating to a musical world of his own creation inside his head. His home was full of violence and the children in his neighborhood often bullied him. Even school wasn’t an escape, since all he did was think about girls.
Finding his future
Among this rough environment, Herbert happened to see musician Arthur Godfrey playing the ukulele on the show Arthur Godfrey and His Friends. The boy was enraptured with the instrument, so his dad decided to buy Herbert his first ukulele, a Fin-Der Diamond Head.
