Tiny Tim on stage. (Credit: Justin Martell/Eternal Troubadour)
A peculiar-looking man stood center stage at a Minneapolis, Minnesota, gala benefit on Nov. 30, 1996. He had shaggy mop-top hair, a sharp nose and thick dark eyebrows, which stood in stark contrast to his snowy countenance. He had an odd way about him that made it hard to look away: Capricious movements, bold features and a palpable hunger for attention.He was performing the event’s last number, his most famous song “Tiptoe Through the Tulips,” a reimagined version of the song popularized by the 1929 film “Gold Diggers of Broadway.” The folk hit showcased his extraordinarily high falsetto and striking, effortless vocal control. A ukulele hung from his shoulders and he seemed to carry it more naturally than he could his eyelids, which he strained to keep open. He had suffered a heart attack on stage two weeks before the event and was...
A peculiar-looking man stood center stage at a Minneapolis, Minnesota, gala benefit on Nov. 30, 1996. He had shaggy mop-top hair, a sharp nose and thick dark eyebrows, which stood in stark contrast to his snowy countenance. He had an odd way about him that made it hard to look away: Capricious movements, bold features and a palpable hunger for attention.He was performing the event’s last number, his most famous song “Tiptoe Through the Tulips,” a reimagined version of the song popularized by the 1929 film “Gold Diggers of Broadway.” The folk hit showcased his extraordinarily high falsetto and striking, effortless vocal control. A ukulele hung from his shoulders and he seemed to carry it more naturally than he could his eyelids, which he strained to keep open. He had suffered a heart attack on stage two weeks before the event...
