Tiny Tim makes his first appearance on The Tonight Show and performs "Tip Toe Through The Tulips" and "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moon Light" Original Airdate: 04/04/1968 #johnnycarson #tinytim #thetonightshow
On October 1st, 1962, Johnny Carson hosted his first episode of The Tonight Show and began his incredible 30 year reign as the King of Late Night! To celebrate this remarkable milestone we will be posting classic first appearances for the entire month of October. Happy Anniversary Johnny!
Thanks for posting these, especially those from 1962 to 1972. I understand that about 90% of those shows were recorded over, which is a disgrace. Hopefully we can soon get some "fresh" episodes on Antenna TV since the same ones have been airing for many years.
That's an interesting perspective. That's not what comes across to me at all. I see something different. Audio and film recording are relatively new. And the ability to read music is no longer as common as it used to be, and I'm not an exception to that. I seem to notice a habit some of us humans have of reflecting on the 20th century and talking about things that had never been done before. In some cases, obviously that's true. But if you go back and listen to the singers he mentioned as influences, I believe he mentioned about four of them, you can hear what he was doing in what they were doing. He added a layer of sort of surrealist kind of absurdist, unhinged-ness to it. But I think more than innovation what we see is perhaps a glimpse into what were more common ways of performing in the past than we realize because none of it was recorded. In the age of computers and telephones and televisions and radios and screens, screens, screens, our entertainment comes in a form that mimic's the stardom of the 20th century. But before all that there were all kinds of places where musicians could play to make money. Side shows, clubs, theaters, etc and I have no doubt that super weird, crazy seeming people like Tiny Tim were around. I think things were actually a lot more weird than we think they were. Perhaps the weirdness of the world begins to hide as the world fills evermore with cameras. Personally, I see Tiny Tim as a mirror. An image of the psychosis of our own times reflected back to us as "entertainment."
I got to know Tiny Tim personally after seeing him perform at a small club in Massachusetts. He also would appear at Spooky World in Berlin,MA during Halloween. I must admit I didn’t know what to expect however each and every time I saw him he would call me Mr. Richard (my first name). He was a very humble and gracious man who would give his all no matter how many people were in the audience and stayed to sign autographs until there was nobody left. He was quirky and eccentric yes…,.but a more kinder and genuine man you would never meet. R.I.P. old friend ✝️💔
Ok, quick question if you knew him: There are comments here saying people in this video were making fun/laughing at his expense. Now while I believe people were enjoying him hamming up his persona, at no point did I feel that anyone was in any way attacking or insulting him. Am I totally out of line for thinking that or are people just being too sensitive from nothing? I know damn well given his timeframe he would have been different and that would have in general caused problems for him, but in this instance I think people were surprised but enjoying his company and not demeaning him.
It still pains me whenever I hear the screeching and howling laughter. I know he was very eccentric, but, God, he was so very strong being able to get up there and play it seriously while being taken for a joke. He was so unbelievably gifted, and the fact we're still talking about him today means he did something right. God bless Tiny Tim.
I am totally with you, he was a good kind person, talented and christian, he was different but nobody, absolutely nobody has the right to humiliate or disrespect him for being the way he was.
He was a joke. What are you sad about? He was a clown. Tip toe through the tulips was a song popularized by women in the 1920s. He never wrote any original music. Even the title Tiny Tim was a joke because he was so tall.
@Victor Alexander ~ Finally, someone said it. I've thought the world of him since I was like 5 yrs old in 1970. He's a man of faith and very, very old fashioned in values. He was also known to possess an extensive record collection dating back to the late 1800's. So, a great guy, I'm sure, but he absolutely was selling his outlandish novelty.
1968. Times were more Conservative. There was the War in Vietnam, and the only show on Television that was featuring far out topics and people was "Donahue."
Tiny knew people would make fun of him just like Carson did on much of this appearance, but Tiny was a real gentleman and took it in stride. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform live several times and met him once although very briefly. The current world could use more people like him. May that gentle man rest in peace.
I thought Carson was quite gentle in his behavior. I mean TT was quite an oddball, albeit a talented one in his own way. It was semi-risky for Carson to have him on in 1968.
@@twohamburgers Gosh, Sam, I have always read and heard the same compliments as sjtom57 expressed regarding Tiny's pleasant and polite personality. According to Wikipedia he was described as a lonely outcast romantic who was "genuine" in his desire to bring happiness to others. Indeed the
Nowadays, religious right Conservatives would say he was encouraging young boys to become sissified, one only has to see what they said about that purple teletubby, and how they go completely insane over a multi-colored flag.
People don’t get that these days. I’m 29, people my age, and even older, have no idea what vaudeville is and how overwhelmingly influential it was in early tv and movie comedy. Marx Brothers started out in vaudeville all those old great comedy acts did z
Tiny Tim was in on the joke and knew exactly what he was doing. Some of the biggest acts in pop and rock have gotten to the top by letting their freak flag fly. Tiny Tim was an innovator in this respect
right on the nail , people are being too sensitive, just because they're laughing it doesn't mean they didn't like him, he was deliberately doing stuff that was funny.
I don't think he milked it at all. I don't think he cared one bit about being laughed at and I don't think he thought he was weird. He was just himself. He didn't even think about it. As a matter of fact, other people laughing probably just brought him more joy!
I saw Tiny Tim in the early 90's. I got to meet him after the show. He seemed to really appreciate it that I asked for his autograph. My heart went out to him.
Tiny Tim set the tone for comics like Jim Carrey and andy Kaufman. He was very smart and way ahead of his time. There will never be another one like him
You know it's so crazy that he's all over Tik-Tok and people use his songs as scary songs but he's actually so upbeat and happy it's crazy Tiny Tim was awesome
I remember him from the pilot episode of SpongeBob "🎶living in the sunlight loving in the moonlight having a wonderful time🎶" song when SpongeBob is cooking for all the customers
I remember Tiny Tim quite fondly. He may have been a little eccentric but I really think America loved him. He was a beautiful gentle soul. He was able to sing in a very high register and as he put it whatever talent you have you should make use of it. Rest in peace Tiny Tim. Thank you for all the joy you brought into the world.
@@Mazoncodmhe literally had a wife stop speculating that people are gay just by they way they act in stage this is only a character he made and not actually him
He certainly was brilliant on another level, with an encyclopedic knowledge of long forgotten Americana songs and lyrics. John Lennon and Bob Dylan were huge fans - they recognized the genius of Tiny Tim. However many did not, and unfortunately regarded him as a novelty act. Their loss.
Tiny Tim was a walking encyclopedia of 20th century popular music. It seemed that he could sing any song, especially from the first several decades at the drop of a hat. I remember when Don Rickles was guest host and had him on. You'd think that Rickles would slice him to ribbons, but he was very polite and nice to Tiny even as he was getting good comedic mileage from him.
Don Rickles knew when to go on the attack, and when to hold back. I didn't see him with Tiny Tim, but it doesn't surprise me that he was polite. Rickles never tried to hurt anyone on purpose. He was a class act.
I think guys like Rickles and Carson were partial to Tiny Tim in large part because he was singing standards in an era of rock music that they found foreign and disturbing.
We need more people like Tiny Tim. Being himself to the fullest and not being ashamed of it no matter what people thought of him. Letting his spirit free and loving life. Such a rare, gentlemen and great beautiful soul he was. Need more people like him nowadays. 🌞
Herbert Khaury was a sweet man. He was a master of self promotion, he adored fame. He wasn't a druggie or alcoholic like so many entertainers. He was an odd fellow but very nice. He loved his audiences, no matter how small. He had a heart attack on stage, performing against the doctors' advice and after being taken off stage he passed out and died. He died doing what he truly loved.
Between this interview and the Laugh-In performances you can really tell Tiny Tim was very much in on the joke and loved to play up his character. He knew how to freak out the squares like no one else at the time. Hell of a musician. Such a sweet soul. And ppl are hating on Johnny too much this interview is a classic.
@TheAfterglowProject oh, you don't like my viewpoint, so you try to insult my lack of current vocabulary. I use words that few people use, and I use terminology that was popular decades ago because I like it. I don't try to conform to what people believe to be modern and hip.
I really love how so many people tell an excellent experience with Tiny Tim. I don’t find a single negative comment about him anywhere. I recently knew about him, but reading every heartwarming comment about Tiny Tim is so wholesome ❤️ thank you for sharing.
He was my fave above all as a child. Everything was so entertaining and rich. He knew how to capture the audience in every way just bring himself. As a adult I admire him even more, he was genuinely fun to see and hear.
@@lilybond6485 so true. I believe he was genuine. I do now at least. When I was a kid in the ‘60’s I thought he was weird. But now I see him totally different.
@Who Soever: Same. As a kid we all thought he was weird -- but we loved watching him -- because we thought he was so weird. Nobody else like him. NOBODY. How uniques is that ? Being that one of a kind. Now -- all these years later -- having moved 1,260 miles away from home 30 years ago -- I googled him a few years ago to see whatever happened to him and found out his gravesite is a 10 minute drive - if even that far - from where I currently live. Go figure.
@Who Soever: I just might visit the mausoleum where he is interred and if I go - not if - when - I will bring a flower from you -- and then come back here on comments and let you know. : )
I just want to go back in time and meet his kind soul. The would was not ready for his geniuse in vocal ranges. 😢He was amazing. I hate the world made fun of him. He did what he wanted, he tought us all about the creators of these amazing songs.
Nobody knew what to make of Tiny Tim when he came on the scene, whether he was pulling everybody's leg with his act, but he always seemed to come up genuine. I saw him in the Minneapolis Airport in transit not long before he died. I've always regretting not saying hello.
@@truthprevails7085 Well, there was a pretty significant part of the interview that you may have skipped about health foods, and taking care of your body from the inside out. He was also anti-drug anti-drink.
@@crochunter35 Yes, the others are correct. He died thinking of others. He had a heart attack and was advised by his doctors to stop performing which he ignored. He was performing at a benefit free of charge and right in the middle of his signature song 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips' he suffered his fatal heart attack. While he was being helped off the stage, he collapsed, lost consciousness and died. If he WAS still with us, he would be 90 now!
Strange coincidence. I was just thinking about Tiny Tim yesterday. When I was a little kid in the early '80s, my dad took us to the Shriners circus in Dallas Pennsylvania. Tiny Tim was there singing. I retained some memories of the circus and the performance, but he wowed the crowd with his real singing voice. Tiny Tim sang Battle Hymn of the Republic and received quite the ovation. I think a lot of people only knew him for his falsetto performances. After the show my sister and I approached him. My sister was nervous and shaky but she asked Tim if she could take his picture. He responded with an enthusiastic sure and obliged with a big grin. The picture came out great. Tiny Tim was a genuinely nice man and I miss him to this day.
I had the great honor of meeting Tiny Tim in person, in of all places, a greyhound bus station, where I was working at the newsstand. Tiny had come over to purchase multiple copies of several scandal sheets, like the National Enquirer. He was complaining something about they hadn't portrayed him correctly. I got him to autograph one of the papers, but unfortunatly lost the paper over the years.
I remember Tiny Tim ❣️He appeared on television quite a bit singing and also on the radio. Everyone thought TT was weird and made fun of him. I find him to be extremely talented and kind-hearted. I was only about 5 years old when I heard tiptoe through the tulips.❤
I think he was simply unique! He broke the mold with style so different and creative! I think he used a lot of acting skill in the way he presented his outlandish performances! I think he new exactly what he was doing and the way he would be received by the public! A refreshing new type of entertainment!
I talked to him briefly at a club he was performing at in the late 1980's. The audience wasn't very supportive, but most of them were too young to really remember him from the late 60's.
@@conradblaha1203 Never occurred to me to ask for a photo or autograph, I was just a teenager and didn’t know better. :) This was around 1975 or 76, in Honolulu.
Tiny Tim said he would perform for the needy or who was in need of a song. The one thing we need is a smile and he certainly provided for that. Rare individual nothing strange about that.
My grandmother has always told me he’s weird and crazy but I seriously am fascinated with him. He seems like such a kind and genuine soul. I wish everyone who finds his songs creepy would take the time and watch him as a person
I know he took on this personae as a way to draw attention to himself, but he really was a talented and interesting guy. Find an interview with him from later in his career he is extremely knowledgeable about music and a lot more "normal" than he was in the 60s.
So many celebrities are like that... They project their shtick really hard up front while making a name for themselves, and relax much later. Cyndi Lauper is a fun example of this too... she was so funny in her early "airheaded babble-box" days. With both Cyndi and Tim, the act was so endearing, nobody minded.
@@RosaGarcia-zd8zm Yes she is! I remember watching her on Leno one night, she was being a total space cadet. It wasn't like her at all, because she's given great interviews elsewhere.
His persona was a legit reflection of himself though. There is. Othing phony about this guy. He was developing his act for years before he became famous. He would have been doing the exact same thing in a dive somewhere if he never got famous
I had an opportunity to interview Tiny Tim three times in the 1990s and found him to be not only a gentleman but possessing extraordinary knowledge about early 20th Century music and recordings. In time he became more respected as a performer, but ended his career basically appearing at county fairs only to tragically die at the age of 64 of a heart attack while on stage with ukulele in hand while in the middle of a rendition of his hit, "Tiptoe Through the Tulips".
Some creepy youtube video’s brought me here- admitting that I seriously got agitated first time watching him, but seriously had a great respect once I tried “researching” for his history. He is actually one of the legends that I wish I was already here, the time of their staging… Great Work, Tiny Tim!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
This was his first appearance on the Tonight Show. It was broadcast on April 4, 1968, the day that Martin Luther King was assassinated. The producers got some severe criticism for airing the show and ignoring the breaking news . But actually it was the fault of NBC News for not having any correspondents available in Memphis to cover the story
One of the most wonderfully unique human beings ever. And for some interesting reason, at the end of a stressful and trying day, if you watch Tiny Tim, you suddenly feel your incumbrances melt away.Tiny Tim just had that gift.
He’s being funny. He’s playing a character and succeeding. When he got bashful and pulled away in a silly manner when he was asked his age was brilliant. He avoided the question and remained mysterious and made everyone laugh. So intelligent and talented
I knew Tim and his mother Tilly, what a great lady she was! She knew Tim was just the cats meow and treated him as such dare I say beautiful, a beautiful man!
My Grandmother and I saw Tiny Tim in a hotel nightclub about 50 years ago. He put on a great show. Didn't just sing in falsetto, but really belted out some tunes. We were amazed. Also saw his wedding to Miss Vicki on The Tonight Show.
Tiny Tim was actually a fascinating person. His maternal grandfather was a rabbi and his paternal grandfather was a priest believe it or not. He learned from an early age that he had that extra octave range in his voice and started to use it while listening to the number one singer in the 1920's Rudy Vallee. Although he was 100% straight, his first gig and break came from performing in a gay bar in New York City. Although his shtick was to act weird during his act, he was actually a very talented man. He played the ukulele left handed and the guitar right handed. That's rare. He married his first wife, who was only 17 and he was 37 on The Tonight Show with Carson watching. He would go on to marry 2 more times. He had suffered a heart attack and was advised by doctors to stop performing but he loved it so much he did not stop. He was actually performing free at a benefit when he suffered a fatal heart attack on stage right in the middle of his signature song "Tiptoe Through the Tulips." He was only 64 which was young by 1990's standards.
@@binghamguevara6814 Are you kidding? You didn't talk about that stuff outright back in those days! You have to know his history. He was a notorious womanizer who pursued and slept with many women, even during his 3 marriages. In fact, he suffered from premature ejaculation and several of the women he was with talked about how the sex would last only seconds because he was so excited. Here is a good read for you. “Tiny Tim and Mr. Plym: Life As We Knew It." It was written by his manager and it talks all about it as well as other things about Tim's life.
There is really not that much to say about his parents. Both of them were immigrants from Lebanon. They both worked once they immigrated here. His father in the textile industry and his mother in the garment industry in Manhattan. His father was Catholic and his mother was Jewish. Even though Jewish law states that if the mother is Jewish, the child is automatically Jewish, Tiny Tim was a devout Catholic all his life.
Such a gentle human being, I really wish he was still around, maybe nowadays he would've gotten the love he deserved. Rest easy Mr. Khaury, God bless your sweet soul. 🙏🏼❤
Johnny was great at his job…. AND.. he was a narcissist I believe and abusive to women as well… hard for me… having a father like that .. charming to the public and extremely abusive man behind the scenes… xo
Tiny Tim has such crazy falsetto range and vibrato. Living in the sunlight loving in the moonlight is my fav because its the song from the spongebob pilot episode.
