I met Tim on July 31, 2007 at The Greenbrier, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. Tim was booked to entertain at a Twilight Zone themed event for the Independent Oil & Gas Association. It was a cocktails and dinner event in Colonial Hall, the larger of the two ballrooms. The room has a permanent stage with curtain and apron, and for the event, portable risers had been positioned on the floor, immediately in front of the stage. The risers were arranged in a 25 foot square to accommodate the belly dancing troupe that was to precede Tim on the evening’s show. (He was quite amused when he learned who was opening the show.) Tim didn’t like the large, empty space that the risers put between the permanent stage and the audience, and after a minute of thinking out loud, announced that he would work on the risers, with the audience fully on three sides, saying that it would be a first for him. Tim, of course, killed.
After Tim’s show, most people vacated the room, but a few guests remained, and Tim performed several close-up pieces for them, including his cups & balls and coins & cylinder. As Tim packed up and we walked to his car, we chatted mostly about Del Ray, with whom we were both obsessed. Shortly after that night, Tim and I had a few more conversations, mostly about Del, but also about Tim’s handling of Confabulation, which he initially shared with me at the oil & gas event. Tim was an amazing entertainer and a generous teacher. Thank you, Tim, for what you shared with us all.
John Slicer
9/3/2018