• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Tragic story behind one-hit-wonder singer who made one of 'creepiest songs ever'

Home> Entertainment> Music

Updated 11:43 11 Dec 2024 GMTPublished 20:46 10 Dec 2024 GMT

Tragic story behind one-hit-wonder singer who made one of 'creepiest songs ever'

Horror movie fans will know why

Anish Vij

Anish Vij

An American rockstar who accidentally made one of 'creepiest songs ever' was once a cult figure back in the 60s.

Tiny Tim - real name Herbert Khaury - was born in 1932 and became interested in music when his father gave him a vintage wind-up gramophone when he was five years old.

Growing up in New York, he was the son of a textile worker from Beirut and his mum was a Polish-Jewish garment worker.

Advert

Tiny Tim's 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips' now has a different meaning (Larry Ellis/Daily Express/Getty Images)
Tiny Tim's 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips' now has a different meaning (Larry Ellis/Daily Express/Getty Images)

After landing a job in at the New York office of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, he became interested in the entertainment industry and decided to show off his unique voice during a talent show.

Tim quickly became known for his unique falsetto and got his big break in 1968 from his cover version of 1929's 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips'.

By using a playful, old-timey melody, the song is very much a surreal listening experience.

It reached number 17 on the US Billboard charts, and cemented himself as a cult hero.

Advert

Sadly, in September 1996, he was performing at a ukulele festival in Massachusetts when he suffered a heart attack on stage.

The singer was taken to hospital and was admitted under the precaution that he needed to look after his health.

At the time, he was suffering from various diabetic and heart conditions. Unfortunately, he ignored all advice and suffered another heart attack on stage while performing his hit song.

Despite CPR attempts, he was pronounced dead in the evening of 30 November, aged 64.

Advert

While older fans will remember him for giving us 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips', newer listeners will have heard the song in various horror movies, giving a completely different spin.

Such as its inclusion in Insidious (2010), marking one of the more terrifying scenes in the movie.

In the film, the song plays as Renai Lambert unpacks boxes in her home as the tune randomly starts playing on the record player.

As the music continues, she heads upstairs and catches a glimpse of the mysterious figure a young boy dancing and running through the house.

Advert

Commenting on the track, one viewer said: "This song scared the s**t out of me in the Insidious movie."

"The song choice for this scene was beyond brilliant. Took a light hearted festive song into the creepiest song ever," a second thought.

While a third added: "One of the creepi[e]st scenes in any movie for me. I don't know why. It's just really unsettling."

"For me it was still creepy even if Insidious never existed," wrote a fourth.

Featured Image Credit: Alisdair Macdonald/Mirrorpix/Getty Images / Sony Pictures

Topics: Film, Horror, Music, Health

Anish Vij
Anish Vij

Anish is a Journalist at LADbible Group and is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2025. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

X

@Anish_Vij

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Revealed: The last-minute Christmas presents you can still buy if you're heading to the shops on Christmas Eve
  • Tragic true story behind new ’10/10’ series that’s leaving viewers transfixed
  • Tragic story of dad who mistakenly drank a lava lamp at bed time
  • Horror fans urge others to watch 'most terrifying shark movie ever made' that's just dropped on Netflix

Choose your content:

3 mins ago
an hour ago
20 hours ago
21 hours ago
  • 3 mins ago

    Jeremy Clarkson left stunned as presenter's surprising secret revealed on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire

    When next you use your leaf blower, remember to thank Steph McGovern

    Entertainment
  • an hour ago

    Actor shares full amount he was paid by Netflix to star as an extra in Stranger Things

    The new season will arrive in November

    Entertainment
  • 20 hours ago

    Netflix users have just weeks to watch highest rated Rotten Tomatoes movie ever before it’s removed

    The 2018 thriller-drama film has a perfect score from critics and viewers don't have much time left to watch it

    Entertainment
  • 21 hours ago

    Man throws up after being told he has to let partner sleep with another man

    Apparently, we're in the era of baffling sex shows on TV

    Entertainment