Tuesday, December 10, 2013

god takes the god-awful great


archive
Sometimes a performer is so bad, so widely loved and yet so deeply awful they transcend mere celebrity.

They craft a career that comments upon itself, even as the work is presented straight up.


realclear.com

Such a performer was singer/yodeller Slim Whitman.

45cat.com/

He credited Paul McCartney for his left handed guitar playing while selling over 100 million albums in the 1970’s and 1980’s.

wiki
I purchased this album of hits in 1972, while I was still in college.


If you can bear it, watch this 2:35 video from a 1981 Midnight Special TV show. He's just awesome.


That’s Andy Kaufman staring in utter amazement at about a minute in. Slim died this year, June 19th, 2013.

He was 90 years old. I really liked him. 
He was so god-awful he was great.
RIP
1968

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