<P> Tiny Tim was published in 1976 by Playboy Press, a biography by Harry Stein . </P> <P> Tiny Tim played the ukulele left - handed, but the guitar right - handed, though he retained the standard string placement . The instruments that he played included a vintage Martin, a Favilla, and a Johnston metal resonator . Tiny was a huge fan of Arthur Godfrey and taught himself to play using a method book that came with the Godfrey - endorsed Maccaferri Islander plastic ukulele . </P> <P> On September 28, 1996, Tiny suffered a heart attack just as he began singing at a ukulele festival at the Montague Grange Hall in Montague, Massachusetts (this hall is often confused in accounts of the incident with the nearby Montague Bookmill, at which he had recorded a video interview earlier that same day). He was hospitalized at the nearby Franklin County Medical Center in Greenfield for approximately three weeks before being discharged with strong admonitions not to perform again because of his health, weight, and the dietary needs for his diabetic and heart conditions . Nevertheless, he ignored the advice . </P> <P> On November 30, 1996, he was playing at a gala benefit hosted by the Women's Club of Minneapolis . He had let his third wife ("Miss Sue") know before the performance that he was not feeling well, but did not want to disappoint the fans . By the end of his performance, most of the audience had left . While performing his last number of the evening, he suffered another heart attack on stage in the middle of a rendition of his hit, "Tiptoe Through the Tulips". His wife asked him if he was feeling all right, and he said he was not; she was helping him back to their table when he collapsed, and never regained consciousness . EMTs performed on - site CPR, and transported him to Hennepin County Medical Center, where, after many revival attempts at the hospital, Tiny Tim was pronounced dead nearly an hour later . His remains are entombed in a mausoleum in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis . </P>

Tiny tim singing tip toe through the tulips