It’s probably not surprising that Tiny Tim was buried with a ukulele (though he also played guitar). His hit version of the song “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” cracked the top 20 when it was released in 1969. He was as well known for his strumming of his ukulele as he was for his falsetto. Remembered for numerous appearances on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In and guest spots on the late-night talk show circuit, he developed a cult following that lasted until he passed away in 1996 (per the Irish Times).
The musician had some serious health complications leading up to his death at age 64 (per Biography). Congestive heart failure and diabetes contributed to a heart attack that he suffered in late September of 1996, which occurred during a ukulele festival in Massachusetts. Several months later, he was performing the song he will always be remembered for, “Tiptoe Through the Tulips,” when he suffered a second heart attack. He lost consciousness almost immediately after he stopped playing the song and could not be revived (via Deseret News). He was laid to rest with a ukulele placed upon his chest and a half-dozen mauve silk tulips at his side.
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