(NEXSTAR) — “Don’t worry, be happy” — if you were around in the late 1990s and early 2000s, odds are Bobby McFerrin’s 1988 hit by that name is probably inextricably tied to one singer — and it’s not McFerrin, unfortunately. Likely, you remember an animatronic fish singing it.
Debuting in 1999, Big Mouth Billy Bass was a novelty product created by Coppell, Texas-based company Gemmy that quickly became an international sensation. In fact, the popularity of the singing rubber fish could be considered a pre-social media viral moment.
Big Mouth Billy Bass’ iconic design features the titular bass mounted on a plaque. A small red button down below would activate the aquatic crooner, which also sang Al Green’s 1974 hit “Take Me to the River.”
Though Billy quickly became a phenomenon — purchased for or gifted by by everyone from Pres. Bill Clinton, then Prime Minister Tony Blair and late Queen Elizabeth II — the bass craze quickly petered out, although not before selling nearly $100 million by the end of 2000, per Ranker.
These days, if you want a brand new BMBB, you’ll need to search through auction sites like eBay, where an original unopened Big Mouth Billy Bass now goes for up to $200. That’s a steep climb from its original retail price of around $30. Gemmy also released special variations of Billy (in addition to other, less popular characters, like Rocky the Singing Lobster) and those fetch even higher prices (up to $300).
Meanwhile, a used-but-in-good-condition working Big Mouth Billy Bass (with its original box) will cost you a lot less. These go for around $100.
Finally, though we’re many decades removed from Billy’s heyday, there’s still plenty of nostalgia for the gilled vocalist online. One occasional trend that pops up includes tinkering with the product so that it plays music from other sources. Back in 2021, a popular TikTok by user Kevin Heckart featured a Billy Bass-Alexa hookup that allowed Big Mouth Billy Bass to sing Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass” (get it?).
The product’s memeability makes it a gadget that easily translates into today’s popular culture and even those who might not have been around for its peak still have affection for the item.
One X user opined in February: “Let the world f—–g know if I don’t get a Big Mouth Billy Bass for my birthday, I’m gonna have the world’s biggest crash out.”
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