A nonagenarian cut the rug a bit too sharply while celebrating his 97th birthday, allegedly kicking the bucket shortly after kicking it to the Bee Gees classic"Stayin' Alive."
Videos by Wide Open Country
TikToker Eden Malinoff revealed the sad news in a post on her account, Baked SoCal, earlier this week. Alongside footage of the elderly dancer (identified only as Vito), Malinoff, who baked a fancy cake for the occasion, revealed that the birthday boy requested a "Halloween-birthday rager" in "true Vito fashion."
The footage showed the newly minted 97-year-old clad in all black, his shirt collar open, nice and wide, as he grinned and gyrated his hips. Meanwhile, partygoers dressed in costumes like Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders happily cut through. Also spotted in the fun video is a sweet spread of party snacks.
However, it seems the birthday boy went out shortly after strutting to "Stayin' Alive." Malinoff also implied Vito exited this plane of existence while the party raged on.
"If there is any way that Vito could have chosen to go out, it would have been like this. He was surrounded by people he loved, we were celebrating his long and full life, and I am just so grateful that I got to be a part of it," Malinoff narrated over the video.
She captioned the post: "RIP to an absolute legend."
The Internet Reacts to 97-Year-Old Birthday Boy Dying Shortly After Dancing to 'Stayin' Alive'
Of course, the comments section to Malinoff's post was filled with well-wishers and those seeking a bit more detail.
"HE DIED AFTER "STAYING ALIVE" PLAYED?!" one shocked onlooker asked. Malinoff shot back with, "Unfortunate timing."
"You can't introduce us to Vito and take him away in the same story!!!" another onlooker insisted. "It's his party, and he'll die if he wants to," yet another person joked.
Meanwhile, other TikTok users admitted Vito picked quite a way to go.
"Wait, dying at your birthday bash is kinda fire," one top comment read. "An icon," Malinoff responded.
Malinoff returned to TikTok yesterday (Nov. 3) to clarify that Vito did indeed pass away shortly after his "Stayin' Alive" dance. In the comments to that post, someone seemingly verified by Malinoff went into detail about the 97-year-old's last dance.
"Best friend of Vito here," they wrote. "He did pass away that night surrounded by his best friends just after we sang him happy birthday. He got a good dance in right before. It was an amazing birthday party. He had some medical issues that we didn't know the severity of, and he passed away peacefully with his favorite music going. Rest in Peace you legend."
"Thanks again for the amazing cake, Eden," the friend added.
