Herbert Butros Khaury (April 12, 1932 – November 30, 1996), also known as Herbert Buckingham Khaury and known professionally as Tiny Tim, was an American singer, ukulele player, and musical archivist. He is best remembered for his cover hits "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" and "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight", which he sang in a falsetto voice.
Khaury was born in Manhattan, New York City, on April 12, 1932. His mother Tillie (née Staff), a Polish-Jewish garment worker, was the daughter of a rabbi. She had immigrated from Brest-Litovsk, present-day Belarus, as a teen in 1914. Khaury's father, Butros Khaury, was a textile worker from Beirut, present-day Lebanon, whose father was a Maronite Catholic priest.
Links to Peel[]
Peel was initially enthusiastic about the singer and praised his album, God Bless Tiny Tim, in June 1968 in International Times ("Those of you who've heard only the jokey tracks from Tiny Tim - the rest of it all is amazing and well worth a gradual hearken" [1]). The album was produced by Richard Perry, who had also produced Captain Beefheart's album Safe as Milk. Later that year Tiny Tim visited Britain, was interviewed by Peel on Night Ride and was invited to guest on the Beatles' Christmas record, made for members of their fan club.
In an interview with Rave magazine, published in February 1969 under the then fashionable headline "Underground Teach-In", Peel was asked whether artists like Tiny Tim and Arthur Brown were offering sensationalism rather than music, to which he replied:
"No. I wouldn't agree at all. Take Tiny Tim first; what he is doing he has been doing for twenty years, so he can hardly be described as doing something just to cash in. Having spoken to him, I believe he is a very sincere person, and a very innocent person, which are the things that come across in his interviews. Everyone says, 'Oh, come on, you've got to be joking', but as far as he's concerned, it's all very real. The people who were with me when I was talking to him felt the same way. We were all prepared at the time to put him down, but we were very impressed by him and convinced of his honesty. The people who are with him are pretty grotesque - all sorts of American businessmen in form-fitting shot silk suits, rather terrifying, and they obviously don't give a damn about what he thinks, they are just in there after the money." [2]
Peel's comments on Tiny Tim's management were borne out by the singer's career path. Although he was at first welcomed by hippies who admired his eccentricity, he soon became regarded, in the UK at least, as a showbiz novelty act. He played at the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival, but also at the Batley Variety Club, where his falsetto version of "Land Of Hope And Glory" (which had gone down well with the Isle of Wight audience) offended an ex-Coldstream Guard who leapt onstage and had to be restrained by the club's bouncers[3]. When Trevor Brice of singles chart group Vanity Fare guested in Melody Maker's Blind Date feature in February 1970, he was critical of JP, remarking "One of the biggest indictments of John Peel was when he had Tiny Tim on his show and said he was going to be the big new underground sound. He turned out to be a pure entertainer...."
By then, Peel appeared to have lost interest in Tiny Tim, in contrast to another eccentric American singer, Wild Man Fischer. who became one of the DJ's lifelong favourites.
Shows Played[]
- 19 May 1968: Tip-Toe Thru' The Tulips With Me (album - God Bless Tiny Tim) Reprise R 6292
- 26 May 1968: Ever Since You Told Me That You Love Me (I'm A Nut) (album - God Bless Tiny Tim) Reprise R 6292
- 02 June 1968: Tip-Toe Thru' The Tulips With Me (7") Reprise RS 23258
- 16 June 1968: Stay Down Here Where You Belong (album - God Bless Tiny Tim) Reprise R 6292
- 23 June 1968: Then I'd Be Satisfied With Life (album - God Bless Tiny Tim) Reprise R 6292
- 07 July 1968: The Other Side (album - God Bless Tiny Tim) Reprise R 6292
- 30 October 1968: unknown