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Bobby "Boris" Pickett, the man famous for the 60s one hit wonder 'Monster Mash', has died.
The singer died on Wednesday night (April 25) at the West Los Angeles Veterans Hospital after battling leukemia. He was 69.
His daughter, Nancy, and his sister, Lynda, were at Pickett's bedside at the time of his death, reports CNN.
'Monster Mash', which saw the singer peform the track by impersonating veteran horror film stars Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, shot to the top of the Billboard charts in 1962 and went into the charts again in 1970 and 1973.
The novelty hit, whose fans included Bob Dylan, also reached Number Three in the UK chart in 1973.
He later re-released the track under the name 'Climate Mash' for a global warming campaign, two years ago.
Pickett's impression of Karloff on the song was forged during his childhood years in Somerville, Massachusetts, where he watched horror films in a cinema managed by his father.
He used the impersonation in a nightclub act and when he performed with his band the Cordials before a bandmate convinced the singer they needed to do a song to showcase Karloff's voice.
The song was rejected by four major labels before Gary Paxton, lead singer on the Hollywood Argyles' novelty hit 'Alley Oop' released 'Monster Mash' on his own label.
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