The Tragic Tale of Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Monster Mash

Riding the Wave: The Tragic Tale of Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Monster Mash

Billboard.com / Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

It took Bobby "Boris" Pickett just 30 minutes to write Monster Mash. A mere half-hour of creativity produced a song that ran 3 minutes and 12 seconds, yet went on to define an era. Those 3 minutes and 12 seconds gave him fame, recognition, and a legacy. But here’s the tragedy: beyond those 3 minutes and 12 seconds, Bobby Pickett struggled to find himself.

For the duration of that song, he was on top of the world. People sang along, laughed, and danced to his playful Halloween anthem. But once the music stopped, who was Bobby Pickett at 3 minutes and 13 seconds?

What identity did he have outside of Monster Mash?

That’s a question not just for Pickett, but for all of us. Who are we beyond our biggest successes?

Pickett’s life tells a cautionary tale about what happens when we tie our identity to a single achievement. After Monster Mash became a hit, he leaned heavily on it, releasing spinoffs like Monster Holiday and Monster Rap. He spent decades waiting for October to roll around, hoping someone would ask him to perform his one hit. But the waves of success never came back, and instead of paddling out to find new ones, he stayed stuck in the shadow of his 3-minute song.

Success, like waves, is fleeting. It’s incredible to catch a wave, ride it, and enjoy its glory, but no wave lasts forever. The key to growth is to keep paddling, to search for the next opportunity, to rebrand and reinvent yourself when the wave breaks.

But there’s another side to this story—a tender mercy in its own way. Those 3 minutes and 12 seconds, those 30 minutes of creativity, gave Bobby Pickett a life he might not have had otherwise. Every October, even into his 60s, he had the chance to perform on stage and do something he loved. He witnessed audiences sing his song, laugh, and celebrate a moment of joy. Not everyone gets that opportunity, and not every Hollywood story ends even this well.

Pickett’s story is a humble reminder of two truths: first, that we’re in control of our own destiny. No one will care about your life or career as much as you do. If you want to keep riding the wave, you have to keep paddling and searching. The second is that even if the waves stop coming, gratitude for what you’ve achieved can sustain you.

As you keep riding and searching for your next wave, do you know where your journey is taking you, or are you waiting for another October to roll around? Sometimes the longer we sit on ideas—the things we know we should pursue but are scared to—the easier it is to talk ourselves out of it. I’d love to hear what waves you are riding.

For me, I am trying to rebrand myself and do things that I haven’t done up until now—like shooting more on 35mm film and writing my first children’s novel. It came to a point where I was tired of waiting for the wave, and so I just started paddling, knowing one would eventually carry me and take me where I wanted to be.

So, as you reflect on Pickett’s story, ask yourself this: When your own “3 minutes and 12 seconds” of success have passed, who will you be at 3 minutes and 13 seconds? Will you keep paddling, searching for the next wave? Because the next wave will come—but only if you keep moving.