Jim Hyte lives in Glendale, AZ, which means he lives in the desert. I remember on TV when someone was lost in the desert and dying of thirst, they would start to hallucinate. The image the person would see was always a large pool with palm trees. Jim decided to make that hallucination into a reality. He has turned his home and backyard into the Exotica!
When did you get into the Tiki lifestyle and what got you into it?
Jim- My brother was into Tiki back in the ’50s. He loved Arthur Lyman and Martin Denny recordings.
Are you and Native of Glendale, AZ? If not, what brought you to Glendale and was Tiki part of your life before the move?
Jim- I am originally from Ohio and tried to have a Tiki inspired back yard there (sort of hard to do when you only have several months of warm weather). I was into the Tiki art, too. I moved to Glendale in 1975 after the deaths of my father and brother. I needed a change of scenery and wanted to life in a palm tree friendly climate (I didn’t know it meant hotter than hell four months of the year). There were relatives here, too.
What is your favorite Tiki drink?
Jim- I guess a Zombie is my favorite drink. I am not a heavy drinker, though.
When and what made you decide to build your own Tiki bar?
Jim- When I moved to Arizona, there was a Trader Vic’s in Scottsdale and I instantly fell in love with it. It closed and I decided I wanted one of my own.
Can you give a little history of how your Tiki bar came together?
Jim- My Tiki bar/house has been a work in progress for the past ten years. I started in 1975 in the back yard and then moved indoors too. I am constantly adding Tiki and New Guinea art that I pick up cheap at auctions and yard sales (most people have no idea what they have and I have gotten pieces which list online for $475.00 for $10.00 to $20.00). I am constantly making little changes. For the past year, I have been shipping shrunken heads that I sculpt around the US and Australia.
I am a retired theatre director, but I still do some acting on the side. I worked briefly in Hollywood as a production designer. I have worked as a freelance artist and was even contracted to do a group of paintings for President Clinton, but now I am a full time art and theatre teacher for K-8. Three times I have been named one of the top playwrights in Arizona. My Holocaust play “Testament a Tale of the Holocaust” won top honors in Arizona and is a part of the archives of the Museum of Tolerance in LA. It can be seen on YouTube. A year and a half ago, film star Dwier Brown, who was Costner’s Dad in Field of Dreams, saw a video of two of my plays, loved them, and came to Phoenix and did an Inside the Actor’s Studio with my theatre class.
Anything else you would like to add?
Jim- At the end of the day I like to come home, close the door to the outside world, and relax in my own personal paradise. My wife and kids are very understanding and supportive in my exotica obsession. When people first come to my home, they either love it or hate it. I tell the ones who are not fond of it that I do the human sacrifices only during the full moon.
Jim has created a room dedicated to Indiana Jones! Check out the picture below…
I would like to thank Jim for all the photographs used to create this blog post.
I am overjoyed with the article.
Thank you! I am glad you like it!
Wow, this is so great! What a perfect ambiance!