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J.R.R. Tolkien’s influence on pop-culture has had an enduring legacy ever since The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were published. The universal (Catholic) messages found in Tolkien’s stories make them appealing to all people, no matter their belief system.
In one of the most obscure (and hilarious..though also embarrassing) moments of pop-culture, actor Leonard Nimoy, most well-known for his performance as Spock in the original Star Trek series, sang a “Ballad of Bilbo Baggins.”
RollingStone gives a brief history behind the music video.
[In 1967] Leonard Nimoy [appeared on Ricky’s ABC variety show Malibu U and] came on in full Spock regalia and lip-synced his new song “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins.” It was the union of Star Trek and The Hobbit, and perhaps one of the most surreal moments of the Summer of Love.
Star Trek‘s first season had ended three months earlier, but it had already become a sensation…“The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins” wouldn’t appear until the follow-up LP in 1968, but it was already in the can when the Malibu U appearance came around.
You can watch the music video below and as an added bonus, you can listen to the cast of The Hobbit read the same lines in the next video!
