Tiny Tim visits Santa Cruz

July 16, 1993: Prior to a free, live show at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Tiny Tim toured Pacific Avenue with me for KPIX-TV and later helped with my weather forecast. (When Tiny told me he knew about 3,000 songs, I asked if he could sing a couple of words to match the weather in several parts of the country. No problem! Why I was doing the weather is a long story, irrelevant here.) Before our tour, I asked Tiny for his beauty secret, and he said, "moisturize, moisturize, moisturize," although later on camera, he credited the Bible and Oil of Olay. Nevertheless, the beauty discussion resulted in Tiny obsessing on the need for a Butler toothbrush. It had to be a Butler, because he needed the rubber tip to massage his gums. I took him to a local store where, with camera rolling, he ran into Mercury News writer Lee Qunostrom. Lee yelled, "Tiny!" Tiny saw Lee and responded, "Angel!" Well, it's another long story, little of which is told on the tape, but both Tiny and Lee were part of the Merry Pranksters when Lee was a teenager with an aura of golden-blond hair ("Angel") and Tiny was Wavy Gravy's roomate in New York's West Village. Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead were involved, but, like I said, long story. Anyway, Santa Cruz loved Tiny Tim. The free concert was the biggest thing to hit town since the earthquake. God bless Tiny Tim, a music savant and a gentle man.

[@wattmanforever]

He was a happy man, and died a happy man. God Bless.

[@CommunityGuidelines]

That was delightful! Thanks for sharing your recollections and this rare interview.

[@RG4242421]

The Original Tiny Tim ,sorry his life was bad with Miss Viki and the child but I still love him he brought smiles and sunshine to me R I P Tiny.