Khaury grew up in New York and became enthusiastic as a child for Arthur Godfrey. After quitting high school, he became a self-taught musician and performed under different stage names. Finally, he stuck to Tiny Tim, a minor character from Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol: A poor boy who in the narration, despite his disability, is a gentle, peaceful, and godly child and also sings in a nice voice. (Khaury himself was a devout Catholic.) Under this name, he made his breakthrough in 1968 with a cover version of Tiptoe Through the Tulips (1929), his only title that had lasting success. In general, a large part of his repertoire came from the pre-war period. As a comedian, he then appeared in numerous television programs. After the 1970s, his fame ebbed away.

Tiny Tim played the soprano ukulele left-handed, as an accompaniment to his singing, without remarkable skill. His falsetto song, his shrill attire and hairstyle, as well as his scurrilous appearances made him look like a joker (which he really did not want to be). He popularized the ukulele, but also promoted the prejudice that it was not considered a serious instrument.

• Obituary in New York Times, 2.12.1996