# "Monster Mash" singer Bobby "Boris" Pickett dead at 69 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 26, 2007, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773 "2007-04-26T20:04:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/1 "2007-04-26T20:04:49Z")
[http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/26/obit.pickett.ap/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/26/obit.pickett.ap/index.html) Let’s all dance a round in his honor ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/2 "2007-04-26T20:36:10Z")
Now he can do his crypt-kicking _from the inside_. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/3 "2007-04-26T20:37:59Z")
He’ll be the graveyard smash. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/4 "2007-04-26T20:47:29Z")
Dang, now I feel old. I loved that song as a kid, as an adult, I still love it. I love his sense of humor. from [CNN,](http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Music/04/26/obit.pickett.ap/index.html) > [@](#): > > “It’s certainly the biggest Halloween song of all time,” said Demento. The DJ, who interviewed Pickett last year, said he maintained a sense of humor about his singular success: "As he loved to say at oldies shows, ‘And now I’m going to do a medley of my hit.’ " ha! ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/5 "2007-04-26T20:58:23Z")
He was only 24 when he recorded that song? I always just assumed he was ancient already. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/6 "2007-04-26T21:03:11Z")
Apparently Boris Karloff himself did a version of it on Dick Clark’s _American Bandstand_. I’d loved to have heard that. But we had a 45 of Bobby Pickett’s version. Shows how old _I_ am. MilliCal loves this song. Some things are timeless. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/7 "2007-04-26T21:05:53Z")
Elvis supposedly hated the song _Monster Mash_. I don’t know why, but I’ve always found that amusing. (The quotation appears on [Pickett’s official website](http://www.themonstermash.com/bio.html), but I don’t know if it’s true or not.) For you, the living, this Mash was meant, too When you get to the door tell them Boris sent you! ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/8 "2007-04-26T21:09:52Z")
> [@](#): > > “It’s certainly the biggest Halloween song of all time,” said Demento. As opposed to…??? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/9 "2007-04-26T21:13:51Z")
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy] As opposed to…??? [/QUOTE] The Transylvanian Twist. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/10 "2007-04-26T21:14:58Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] The Transylvanian Twist. [/QUOTE] Whatever happened to that, anyway? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/11 "2007-04-26T21:15:09Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] The Transylvanian Twist. [/QUOTE] Whatever happend to that? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/12 "2007-04-26T21:16:41Z")
:shakes fist: **MOBO!!!** OK, here’s another [Halloween song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89sL4R50Z6E) (sorta). ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/13 "2007-04-26T22:55:35Z")
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy] As opposed to…??? [/QUOTE] Number 2 is surely “Haunted House.” While I wouldn’t have been surprised if there were no #3, [this guy](http://www.13thtrack.com/halloween-music.htm) lists seven. ---
**Author:** ![priapus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@priapus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/priapus)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/14 "2007-04-26T23:10:13Z")
I guess no one remembers “Popeye the Gravedigger”,“Hurry Bury Baby”,or “Gravy(with some Cyanide)” ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/15 "2007-04-26T23:49:31Z")
**The Transylvania Twist?** [QUOTE=mobo85] Whatever happened to that, anyway? [/QUOTE] [QUOTE=ArchiveGuy] Whatever happened to that? [/QUOTE] **It’s now the Mash.** ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2007, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/16 "2007-04-26T23:55:29Z")
Did you hear the version of the song he had put out a couple years back, decrying the current leadership’s disregard of the environment? He titled it “The Monster Slash” R.I.P. Bobby. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/17 "2007-04-27T00:00:27Z")
Damn. That was the second 45 I ever bought, the first time it came out. Grr, Mash Good! ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/18 "2007-04-27T00:49:07Z")
Didn’t he have an extramarital fling with Tami Faye Bakker once upon a time? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Hildo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@Johnny\_Hildo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Hildo)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/19 "2007-04-27T00:49:47Z")
My parents had a 45 of his somewhat less popular follow-up, the “Monster Motion.” ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2007, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773/20 "2007-04-27T01:03:22Z")
[QUOTE=Sampiro] Didn’t he have an extramarital fling with Tami Faye Bakker once upon a time? [/QUOTE] Answering my own question: No, he didn’t. I was thinking of [Gary Paxton](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_S._Paxton) who was co-producer/co-recorder of _Monster Mash_. Sorry, and retractions with apologies to the Pickett family for implying he ever did the churchyard smash with Tami Faye. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monster-mash-singer-bobby-boris-pickett-dead-at-69/401773.md?page=2)