Since Michael Jackson’s death has dominated media coverage, it has not allowed much time or space to remember others who have died. Therefore I would like to take a moment to remember John Joseph Houghtaling,92, the inventor of the “Magic Fingers Vibrating Bed.” He literally touched many lives with his coin operated fixture in American motel rooms in the 1960’s and 70’s. 
He invented the “Magic Fingers” machine in 1958. It caused beds to vibrate when a quarter was dropped in the device. According to the Associated Press, “the kitschy devices found their way into pop culture, celebrated in movies and music. Jimmy Buffet’s honored it in the song “This Hotel Room”: “Put in a quarter, turn out the light, Magic Fingers makes ya feel all right.”
4wrdthnkndad
2 Comments
i remmber as a kid thinking how cool those were… i really had no idea how cool they were ;}
I remember as a kid when we drove through the U.S. on vacation and stopped at motels along the way. I would always beg my dad for a quarter if memory serves to crank up the magic fingers on the bed. It was great and we did it more for the entertainment value than for any kind of massage. When you are a kid anything is like an amusement park ride I guess. It was a lot of fun.
Anyway, check out my blog when you get a chance.
http://www.thenightcanopy.blogspot.com
Kind regards,
T.T. Douglas