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Whenever someone prepares to meet a person with a nickname like “Tiny”, you’re never sure what to expect. In the case of Tiny Young, the label is a misnomer.
A tall, husky young guy with a full beard and long, brown hair flowing from beneath his western style hat, Tiny’s physical appearance fits somewhere within the Charlie Daniels - Willie Nelson mold.
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The name was bestowed on him in his third day at Hudsonville High School, he says, and he’s not about to give it up.
“I prefer not to be called anything else,” says Tiny, a singer and keyboard artist. “I don’t even tell people what my real first name is. It’s not that I dislike my name, but I enjoy my stage name and try to stick with it.”
Tiny also is not about to let a setback like a crippling injury keep him from his love of entertaining.
An automobile accident in July, 1976 left him with limited use of his legs. After a forced layoff of 19 months, he returned to full-time performing last February.
Tiny now requires the use of forearm crutches to get around, but says his work-related adjustments have been minor.
“Since I’ve been laid up, it’s taken me a lot longer to set up my equipment,” he says, “I have to hire everything moved around for me.”
“It took me six hours just to move from (George’s Cozy Inn) Dorr to here (the Red Carpet Inn in Grandville).”
Tiny’s brother Tom and friend Ken Deater have helped transport his bulky keyboards and sound equipment, he says.
“I’ve also tried to play in places that are closer to home and that aren’t too far apart,” says Tiny. “Other than that, there have been no real problems. I’ve been around the area and I haven’t had trouble keeping busy. I hope to have my legs back soon.”
He will perform at the Red Carpet Inn, 3300 28thStreet SW, tonight, next Wednesday through Saturday nights, and July 11-15.
“I don’t like to stay in one place too long,” he says. “Grand Rapids has been very good to me, and when I talk about Grand Rapids I mean Grand Haven, Muskegon, Saugatuck, the whole surrounding area. But I think that has to do with keeping on the move.”
Prior to the accident, Tiny had worked four years either as member or leader of several local bands.
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He began his professional career rather inauspiciously in the showroom of a car dealership in Holland.
“They wanted a band to entertain while they introduced the new cars for fall,” he recalls. “I think we got $150 for that weekend, and I thought I was on my way. Even though we had to split the money four ways, I thought I was in glory land. But things went way down after that.”
"Tiny now is strictly a soloist, “because it’s the only way to make a living, really.”
His instrumentation consists of two electronic keyboards, with an electric rhythm maker at his side to keep the beat. He adds a quivering high tenor voice that is both distinctive and listenable.
“It’s just music, honest,” he says. “Whatever it is, it isn’t country. I don’t even like the term ‘country-rock,’ because I don’t do rock. I do some rock and roll, but it’s not my favorite kind of music. I really prefer ballads.”
“The basic thing I want is to be heard. I don’t want to be too loud, but loud enough so that everyone can hear the words.”
“Every piece of my equipment has been modified... so I can get the sound I want, ...clean and as full as a single act can be.”
His novelty numbers, such as The Auctioneer, and a spirited version of Orange Blossom Special in which he also plays harmonica, are the biggest crowd pleasers. He’s not above throwing in an occasional polka.
Married and the father of three, Tiny has worked at a tire Shop, a construction company, and at farming before making music his profession.
“People need to be entertained. I enjoy seeing people laugh and have a good time. If they have a problem, I like to see them forget about it for a while. All those jobs have enabled me to work to just about anybody, because I can understand their need to escape from the grind.”
He keeps as much time as possible open to perform at weddings and benefits (“I do as many as I can”) and be with his family.
He’s booked heavily through mid July; then, after a brief vacation, he’ll return to this area for a tough engagement at a local hospital where he’s scheduled for
further corrective surgery.
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| - Jim McFarlin |
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