The Eccentric Life of Tiny Tim

Bless you, Tiny Tim

Photo from SF Weekly.

Many acts in the late ’60s had their 15 minutes of fame. Jerry Samuels (Napoleon XIV) astonished listeners with “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” And in 1968, a skinny whimsical character entertained crowds with his high-pitched voice and ukulele.

This figure is Tiny Tim, whose obscure behavior won a world over. Yet under his bizarre demeanor lies a man with incredible talent.

Born Herbert Butros Khaury on April 12, 1932, in Manhattan, New York, at a young age, Herbert displayed a passion for music. So, his father bought a gramophone, a record of “Beautiful Ohio” by Henry Burr, and a guitar he taught himself to play. Herbert would spend hours next to the gramophone, listening to all kinds of early 20th-century records. Herbert took his love a step further by creating fantasy worlds where he’s singing on a popular radio show.

Herbert was intrigued by early 20th-century music, as he would spend hours at the public library learning about music recordings and their history, making himself knowledgeable about the genre. Khaury would do nothing but be alone in his bedroom for the next few years, listening to records and studying them. Herbert spent countless hours in his room, and it worried his parents. As a result, they offered him vocal and guitar lessons to leave the house…