ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, December 2, 1996 TAG: 9612020133
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: MINNEAPOLIS
TYPE: NEWS OBIT
SOURCE: Associated Press
HIS WACKY 1968 HIT, rendered in an unnerving falsetto, propelled the singer to fame.
Tiny Tim, the ukulele-plunking crooner who bemused and amused millions by trilling the whimsical love ditty ``Tiptoe Thru' the Tulips,'' died after falling ill as he performed his signature song.
Tiny Tim, who had a history of heart trouble, was stricken Saturday night during a benefit for the Women's Club of Minneapolis. His widow, Susan Khaury, said he cut short ``Tulips'' and told her he was not well, after which he collapsed.
``I don't think he had time to feel pain,'' Susan Khaury said Sunday. ``He died singing `Tiptoe Thru' the Tulips,' and the last thing he heard was the applause, and the last thing he saw was me.''
Tiny Tim died at a Minneapolis hospital late Saturday. A hospital spokeswoman said the cause apparently was cardiac arrest, but a final determination would be made later.
He said a few weeks ago that he was born April 12, 1932, making him 64, although over the years he had sometimes fibbed or hedged about his age.
Born Herbert Khaury, Tiny Tim built his career on his single hit song in 1968, his stratospheric falsetto, an asexual and childlike stage persona and a flair for self-promotion.
The 6-foot-1 entertainer with long, frizzy hair was given his stage name in 1960 by an agent who had been working with midget acts. He made his first national television appearance on ``Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in.''
His 1969 marriage to Vicki Budinger on Johnny Carson's ``Tonight Show'' attracted an audience of 40 million viewers. They had a daughter, Tulip Victoria, before they divorced.
Though known for his falsetto, he also sometimes sang in a baritone. His albums include ``God Bless Tiny Tim,'' ``Prisoner of Love,'' ``Rock,'' and ``Girl.''
In recent years, he found an audience with the retro-music crowd and an enthusiastic welcome from broadcast hosts, including Howard Stern and Conan O'Brien.
Band leader Jerry Mayeron of Minneapolis backed Tiny Tim at a recent performance for the Women's Catholic League Ball in Golden Valley.
``He just did a couple, three songs, what he's sort of famous for. He appeared a little shaky but he made it through the show,'' Mayeron said.
``There's always a great reaction. He kills 'em no matter what age crowd it is. Everybody knows who he is. That name's magic. [He had an] amazing career based on a minute-and-a-half song.''
Tiny Tim moved to Minneapolis in 1995 after marrying his third wife.
He had suffered from congestive heart failure, diabetes and other problems. He fell off a stage on Sept. 28 after suffering a heart attack during a ukulele festival in Massachusetts and was hospitalized for 11 days.
``If I live 10 years, it's a miracle. Five years, it's even more of a miracle,'' Tiny Tim said after his release.
He once told an interviewer, ``Don't bury me with anyone old.'' A funeral was scheduled for Wednesday in Minneapolis.
LENGTH: Medium: 64 linesby CNB