Bobby 'Boris' Pickett

Born: 11 February 1940, Somerville, Massachusetts,

Bobby "Boris" Pickett (And The Crypt-Kickers) recorded the US number 1 "Monster Mash' in 1962, a song which has remained alive for decades due to perennial radio airplay each Halloween. Pickett moved to Los Angeles in 1961, upon his release from military service, hoping to become an actor. Instead, he joined a singing group called the Cordials. Pickett, an avowed fan of actor Boris Karloff, worked an impression of the horror film star into some of the group's songs and he and the Cordials" Leonard Capizzi wrote "Monster Mash" to cash in on the dance craze launched by Dee Dee Sharp's "Mashed Potato Time" hit of 1962. Pickett was signed to Gary S. Paxton's Garpax label and "Monster Mash" worked its way to the top of the charts in time for Halloween 1962. The record later returned to the US charts twice, this time on Parrot Records, reaching number 91 in 1970 and then hitting the Top 10 for a second time three years later. It was not until 1973 that the song made any significant impact upon the UK chart, when it reached number 3 in September. It was also successfully covered by the UK group the Bonzo Bog Doo-Dah Band. Pickett had two other minor US chart singles in 1962-63, including the Top 30 "Monster's Holiday", but he is indelibly linked with the classic novelty number.

It was 1962 and teen-age America still did the Twist when Bobby Pickett emerged with the Boris Karloff spoof that has since become the rock 'n' roll anthem of Halloween.
For 40 years since, Pickett's goulish glee club has risen annually from the crypt of Golden Oldies with a fleeting bit of airplay for the ghosts, goblins and spirits of Allhallows Eve.

Over the years, Monster Mash has sold about 4 million copies, easily one of the most popular novelty records of all time.

His Karlovian imitation for Monster Mash was born when Pickett was 9 years old and spent time at the movie theater his father managed in Somerville, Mass. "I always did Boris," he said.

He used Karloff in his nightclub act in Hollywood in 1959 and 1960. And when he was part of the the group, the Cordials, he'd often slip in a few impersonations between songs. Boris was the crowd favorite. So one Saturday afternoon, he and friend Lenny Capizzi decided to write a song, putting the mimic to music.
They dubbed themselves Bobby Boris Pickett and the CryptKickers and went to Gary Paxton, then lead singer for the Hollywood Argyles.

Monster Mash was released three times.

It reached No.1 on October 20, 1962. It re-entered the Hot 100 eight years later, on August 29, 1970, and peaked at 91. Almost three years after that, on May 5, 1973, it made a third re-entry, and this time went all the way to number 10.

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