Our Saturday Special this week focuses on Little Jimmy Dickens as we mourn his passing yesterday at the age of 94. James Cecil Dickens was born December 19, 1920 in Colt, West Virginia. The last of 13 children, Jimmy saw his family struggling to make a living in the coal mines and decided he wasnt ever going to do that. He began playing music as a teenager and quickly landed jobs at local radio stations. Country star T. Texas Tyler gave Jimmy a job on his radio show in 1941 and then superstar Roy Acuff took a liking to Jimmy and got him a spot on the Opry in 1948. As much as his musical ability, Jimmy entertained audiences with his quick wit and ability to poke fun at himself--frequently at the fact that he only stood 411, calling himself Willie Nelson after taxes. Known for wearing brightly-colored rhinestone-studded suits, he also said someone once saw him run by and said, There goes Mighty Mouse in his pajamas! Jimmys overall success on the charts wasnt particularly impressive when compared to other artists but because he was beloved by his fans and his fellow entertainers and because he did so much to spread the popularity of country music world-wide, Jimmy was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983. Despite his advancing age and off-and-on health problems, he continued to entertain regularly at the Opry and elsewhere. He suffered a stroke on Christmas Day, just five days after his final Opry appearance during which he sang this hit of his that Boudleaux Bryant wrote back in 1954. Rest well, Little Jimmy, and thank you for your rich contributions to the history and well-being of country music. https://youtube/watch?v=1_mUz3RWKHQ
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 15:20:29 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015