Thread: RIP - Bobby "Boris" Pickett dies at 69

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We all need to remove our masks for a moment of silence - it's hard to measure what he did for the celebration of Halloween in America - think about haw many times you've heard Monster Mash over the years...


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Awwww..... da-da-da-dum... Its just me, and my Mummy... my Mummy and me...

That sucks. I honestly didn't even know he was still alive. One of the most ubiquitous songs ever... I bet 99% of English speaking Americans know of it.

One of my favorite songs as a kid.

Remembering Monster Mash.

Every Year we do a "show" and there is always a song, sometimes it has a "Halloween" theme - Thriller - Zombie year, Time Warp - Hollywood sometimes it matchs the "show" "Karn Evil #9" ELO for Psycotic Circus, Space Odd-issy 2001 - "Another One bites the Dust" Queen, Addams Family Year - Taking Fester to the Electirc chair - "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer, Finale - "We are Family" Poineer Sisters. Etc.

But of Course today I think off 1999 - Our Charlie Hayes year.

That was our second year at this house doing the big party.
There is a buried railroad track that runs along the back of our property and it has a large 5-8' high burm over it, nice little dirt trail. We had just started the 4 foot wide wooded trail that we have now, that year it was barely more than tall weeds. Our story was that during the Civil war a train was carring supplies and there was a accident, while saving other people Charlie Hayes was decapitated. We made our first tombstone, it was VERY basic, big styrophome, rounded off top and we painted his info on it in black paint. We were so proud of ourselves (of course I had not found this site at that time) Now we would send people in a group of about 6-8 down the dirt trail to find his head so he can rest in peace. When they got to the end of this trail the person who found the head had to go down a seperate 30 - 40' trail by themselves to return the head to Charlie. At the end of the trail was my Co-Hauntaholic Aunt Terry, Terry is about 5'9" and her costume was done up with football gear and other stuff so her face was at mid chest level as a headless man, when the person made it down the trail (some turned back) she would come out "Give Me My Head" in a very good scary voice. when they gave her the head she would thank them and give them a little skull bucket with cnady and prizes and when they would check out the bucket she would yell "NOW RUN" one kid dropped his bucket.

We finished the night with Monster Mash.

Out on the front porch our "stage" (before we built our second garage with a large patio-stage)

I actually had the fake microphone and was playing "lead" which I hardly ever do. Terry was off on the side on the grass in a chair (she could not lay down with her costume) and would rise and do the funniest little dance twist with her hands up as if she is doing the bunny hop during the "We did the Mash"
My Sister had a keyboard (not really on) and was helping direct kids. We had Vampires for their feast, I bought my first Plasma Ball for the Ghouls who all came from their humble abode's to get a jolt from my electrodes, we had the zombies, Wolfman, Dracula and his son. We use to have access to a Coffin (It was grampas and after many Holloweens he has now done whatever needs to be done to make it so he can actuallly be buried in it, so we don't use it anymore, so yes I need a new one) but the best part was when Dracula opened his coffin and shook his fist and said "what ever happen to my trsanslvanin Twist" My Niece who had always been a big scary cat and not leave Mom's side or do any kind of preformance played Dracula, and she hopped right in that coffin knowing that we were closing the lid on her and she would have to stay in there for quite a long time. To this day every Halloween she jumps right in with whatever job I give her.

It is funny how you remember little things about past years, and songs are good triggers, and I am so glad that I have kept up with the Halloween Photo albums otherwise I might have forgot about how we all had to "feed" Terry her wine thru a long straw that year.

Truly a great artist. Monster Mash, cheesy as it is, was one of the first Halloween Songs I ever heard. I was fortunate enough to finally acquire one of his Original LPs, and the other songs on it are great too.

I LOved Monster Mash, I play it everyear... He will be Missed..

R.I.P Bobby. You made my childhood Halloweens memorable.

I'm going to go home and listen to it over and over just for the good memories.

One of my all time favorites! I know he hasn't recorded anything in ages, but I hope he knew how much we all dearly loved his songs.
That he takes that love to the grave and beyond!