1999. A year that will live in legend. OK, that may be juuust a little bit strong.

But it is the year we were introduced to Big Mouth Billy Bass. And I mean virtually all of us were introduced to the singing fish.

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And while this may be labeled a 'Generation X' memory, let's be truthful about ol' Big Mouth Billy: People from five to ninety-five hung Billy on the wall and listened to him sing.

As a matter of fact, my dad and mom had him hanging on the wall in their room at the Edgebrook Nursing Home in Edgerton, Minnesota well into the 2000s. Dad absolutely loved having Billy sing while his guest looked on in awe (Well, not in awe really, but it helped if you appeared in awe).

Big Mouth Billy, or maybe one of his many cousins, are still being sold...but it was 1999 into the early 2000s that Billy was a phenomenon. Or a craze. Or a fad. Call it (him?) what you will.

For about four or five years Big Mouth Billy was the 'it' thing to have, and he showed up, not only on the wall in the garage, the den, the kitchen, or the bathroom but on a Nursing Home wall too.

In the 2003 Blue Collar Comedy Tour film, Jeff Foxworthy said that if you had more than three of him...say it with me...'you might be a redneck'. Through the years he could be seen on shows like The Sopranos, The Office, The Daily Show, Whose Line Is It, Anyway, and many more.

So while Big Mouth Billy may just be a memory for you, don't be surprised if he shows up next week while you're watching your favorite TV show.

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