I met Tiny Tim in 1967 or 1968 in Chicago, during a concert tour

I met Tiny Tim in 1967 or 1968 in Chicago, during a concert tour. I became a huge fan after seeing Tiny on Laugh-In, and painted a large watercolor protrait of him. He was appearing at a K-Mart in one of the outlying suburbs, and I managed to persuade my folks to drive all the way out there so that I could meet him.

It was a horrible time of life for me... I was suffering from incredible depression, my mother had been critically ill, my best friend had attempted suicide, and I was close to doing the same.

When I got to meet him, I gave him the painting and he graciously posed with it and me so my dad could take a couple of pictures. Even though there were about 300 fans waiting to meet him, he took a few minutes to chat with me about the difficulties I was going thru, and to offer encouragement. It gave me something to believe in--that a person who had been through so many ups and downs in his life, and who was now a celebrity, would take time to talk to me like that.

A few days later, I was getting ready to go to his concert at the Audiorium Theater in downtown Chicago. About an hour and a half before I was to leave, the phone rang. My dad answered, and called me to the phone. It was Tiny Tim! He had taken the time to read my name on the back of the painting, and look up my parents' phone number to call to thank me again for the portrait! My parents (and everyone who heard the story) were incredulous--how many celebrities would care that much about their fans?

His show was wonderful too. His enthusiasm and optimism filled the theater. It gave us all a chance to experience his love of performing and his incredible vocal range. It also inspired me to start exploring older popular music, something I still enjoy now.

Several months later, I did attempt suicide. I didn't really want to die, but my emotions had pushed me to the brink. As I was cutting my wrist and trying to stop myself, I remembered him and calmed myself enough to put on the "Fill Your Heart" track from his first album. It managed to calm me down enough to find my parents and ask them to help me. It was a very long and rough road to recovery, but here I am so many years later. He had touched my life and given me hope that, whatever I was facing, there would be a way to survive.

I still have the two albums he signed, and the fuzzy Instamatic photos my dad took. He lives on in the lives he touched.

Thanks for the chance to remember again--

Elaine T.