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{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Spoony Singh
| image = Spoonysingh.jpg
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Singh with a wax replica of actress [[Marilyn Monroe]] in 1966
| birth_name = Sapuran Singh Sundher
| birth_date = {{birth date|1922|10|22|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Jalandhar]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|British Punjab]]
| death_date = {{dda|2006|10|18|1922|10|22|df=yes}}
| death_place = [[Malibu, California]], U.S.
| resting_place = [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills]]
| occupation = Businessman, entrepreneur
| known_for = Owner of the [[Hollywood Wax Museum]]
| spouse = {{marriage|Chancil Kour Hoti|1943|2006}}
| children = 6
}}

'''Sapuran Singh Sundher''' (22 October 1922 – 18 October 2006), popularly known as '''Spoony Singh''', was an Indian-born [[Canadians|Canadian]] businessman and entrepreneur known for his personality and establishing the [[Hollywood Wax Museum]].

==Early years and career==
Singh was one of four children born in a small farming village in [[Jalandhar]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|British Punjab]]. His family moved to [[Vancouver, British Columbia]], [[Canada]] in 1924, eventually settling in [[Victoria, British Columbia]]. Singh attended Quadra Elementary where classmates nicknamed him "Spoony". He later graduated from [[Victoria High School (British Columbia)|Victoria High School]]. Singh was accepted to college but by that time, his father had developed chronic [[asthma]] from working in [[sawmills]] and was unable to work. To support his family, Singh went to work at a [[Roof shingle|shingle]] mill. He eventually earned enough money to open a sawmill in [[Esquimalt]] and a logging camp near [[Port Alberni]]. By 1954, Singh and his wife were able to build a home in the Peacock Hill section of [[Saanich, British Columbia]].<ref name="hawthorn">{{cite news|title=Spoony Singh, Entrepreneur: 1922-2006|last=Hawthorn|first=Tom|date=21 October 2006|work=The Globe and Mail}}</ref>

He then opened an amusement park he called "Spoony's" in Victoria. The park featured a restaurant, trampolines and go-carts powered by motors used from chainsaws.<ref name="martin">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/25/obituaries/25singh.html|title=Spoony Singh, 83, Dies; Created Hollywood Wax Museum|last=Martin|first=Douglas|date=25 October 2006|work=The New York Times|page=17|accessdate=1 April 2011}}</ref><ref name="hawthorn"/> In 1964, Singh was approached by investors who were interested in opening a [[wax museum]] in the United States. He went on a two-week scouting trip to [[Los Angeles]] where he toured famous attractions on [[Hollywood Boulevard]] devoted to celebrities. After realizing that he had not seen any celebrities at these attractions save for their foot and handprints at [[Grauman's Chinese Theatre]], Singh decided to create a place where fans could see them.<ref name="malibu">{{cite web|url=http://www.malibutimes.com/obituaries/article_e2473adf-9ec1-5069-93ab-978a1b87b867.html|title=Spoony Singh|date=25 October 2006|publisher=malibutimes.com|accessdate=12 January 2015}}</ref> Singh later said, "...I thought, let's bring the stars back to Hollywood Boulevard. Let's allow people to get close and look into the eyes of their favorite entertainers."<ref name="usatoday">{{cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-10-22-obit-singh_x.htm|title=Hollywood Wax Museum founder Singh dies|date=22 October 2006|publisher=usatoday.com|accessdate=12 January 2015}}</ref> Singh's answer was the [[Hollywood Wax Museum]], a museum which features wax replicas of celebrities and historical figures. He bought an empty brassiere factory and luggage shop located at 6767 Hollywood Boulevard and, on 25 February 1965, opened the museum to the public.<ref name="hawthorn"/> On its opening day, a line of visitors a half a mile long waited to get in. Singh became known for the inventive ways he promoted the museum including having an actor dressed as [[Charlie Chaplin]] greet visitors and skateboarders dressed in gorilla suits that he paid to skate in front of the museum. In one instance, Singh hired people to jump out from behind the wax figures to scare patrons; the practice was later stopped for fear of lawsuits.<ref name="martin"/>

Singh, who used his middle name (which means "lion") as his surname for professional purposes, became something of a celebrity in the local Hollywood community.<ref name="malibu"/><ref name="nelson">{{cite web|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2006/oct/21/local/me-singh21|title=Spoony Singh, 83; Established Wax Museum|last=Nelson|first=Valerie J.|date=21 October 2006|publisher=latimes.com|accessdate=12 January 2015}}</ref> His ever-present [[dastar]], [[Nehru jacket]], full beard (Singh was an observant [[Sikhism|Sikh]]),<ref name="hawthorn"/> and penchant for flamboyant showmanship to promote his museum made him a well known personality.<ref name="martin"/> In 1979, Singh expanded his business after opening the Thousand Oaks Self Storage (now known as the [[Hollywood Storage Center of Thousand Oaks|Hollywood Storage Center]]).<ref name="malibu"/>

==Personal life==
Singh married Chancil Kaur Hoti in 1943. The couple had six children, four sons and two daughters, and remained married until Singh's death.<ref name="martin"/>

==Later years and death==
Singh retired in 1990 but continued to oversee his businesses which are now run by his family. He oversaw the opening of the Hollywood Guinness World Records Museum in 1991, the opening of a second location of the [[Hollywood Wax Museum Branson]] in [[Branson, Missouri]] in 1996, and the expansion of his storage business in 2002.<ref name="malibu"/>

On 18 October 2006, Singh died of [[congestive heart failure]] at his home in [[Malibu, California]] at the age of 83.<ref name="usatoday"/> His funeral was held on 24 October at [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood Hills]] where he was buried.<ref name="nelson"/>

==In popular culture==
In 1965, Singh appeared on the 7 November episode of the game show ''[[What's My Line]]'' (additionally notable as regular panelist [[Dorothy Kilgallen|Dorothy Kilgallen's]] final episode before her untimely death). The panel failed to guess his profession.<ref name="nelson"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Spoony}}
[[Category:1922 births]]
[[Category:2006 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian businesspeople]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from British Columbia]]
[[Category:Canadian expatriates in the United States]]
[[Category:Canadian people of Punjabi descent]]
[[Category:Canadian Sikhs]]
[[Category:Hollywood history and culture]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to Canada]]
[[Category:People from Jalandhar]]
[[Category:People from Victoria, British Columbia]]

Spoony Singh - Revision history

->Rathfelder: −Category:Canadian people of Indian descent; −Category:Indian Sikhs; ±Category:20th-century businesspeople→Category:20th-century Canadian businesspeople using HotCat