"Little" Jimmy Dickens
| Little Jimmy Dickens | |
|---|---|
Dickens in 1971
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | James Cecil Dickens |
| Also known as | Little Jimmy Dickens Tater |
| Born |
December 19, 1920 Bolt, West Virginia |
| Died | January 2, 2015 (aged 94) Nashville, Tennessee |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Country Singer |
| Instruments | Guitar |
| Years active | 1936–2014 |
| Labels | Columbia Records, Decca Records, United Artists Records |
James Cecil Dickens (December 19, 1920 – January 2, 2015), better known by his stage name, Little Jimmy Dickens, was an American country music singer famous for his humorous novelty songs, his small size (4'11" [150 cm]), and his rhinestone-studded outfits (which he is given credit for introducing into country music live performances). He started as a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1948 and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1983. Before his death he was the oldest living member of the Grand Ole Opry.
Dickens was born in Bolt, West Virginia. He began his musical career in the late 1930s, performing on radio station WJLS in Beckley, West Virginia, while attending West Virginia University. He soon quit school to pursue a full-time music career, traveling the country performing on local radio stations under the name "Jimmy the Kid."
In 1948, Dickens was heard performing on WKNX, a radio station in Saginaw, Michigan, by Roy Acuff, who introduced him to Art Satherly at Columbia Records and officials from the Grand Ole Opry. Dickens signed with Columbia in September and joined the Opry in August. Around this time he began using the nickname Little Jimmy Dickens, inspired by his short stature.
Dickens recorded many novelty songs for Columbia, including "Country Boy", "A-Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed", and "I'm Little but I'm Loud". His song "Take an Old Cold Tater (And Wait)" inspired Hank Williams to nickname him Tater. Later, telling Dickens he needed a hit, Williams wrote "Hey Good Lookin'" in only 20 minutes while on a plane with Dickens, Minnie Pearl, and Pearl's husband, Henry Cannon. A week later Williams recorded the song himself, jokingly telling Dickens, "That song's too good for you!"
In 1950, Dickens formed the Country Boys with musicians Jabbo Arrington, Grady Martin, Bob Moore, and Thumbs Carllile. It was during this time that he discovered future Country Music Hall of Famer Marty Robbins at a Phoenix, Arizona television station while on tour with the Grand Ole Opry road show. In 1957, Dickens left the Grand Ole Opry to tour with the Philip Morris Country Music Show.
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