James Dickens
December 19, 1920 – January 2, 2015
Little Jimmy Dickens was a much-beloved American country music singer whose career spanned an astonishing 78 years. At the time of his passing, he was the oldest member of the Grand Ole Opry, which he joined in 1948. Launching his career during the late ’30s, Dickens initially performed at a local radio station while attending West Virginia University, but decided to quit school in order to focus on his career. He went on to tour the U.S. playing at various radio stations until he caught the ear of Roy Acuff who helped him get a deal with Columbia Records while introducing him to the folks at the Grand Ole Opry who quickly welcomed him into the family. Dickens scored his first Top 10 country hit in 1954 and then landed his second in 1962. Two years later, he became the first country music act to tour the world. In 1965, already a popular draw on television and across North America, Dickens landed his first #1 country hit with “May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose.” The novelty song also crossed over to the pop charts and became Dickens’ signature song. Even though he recorded his last album in 1969 (and single in 1978), Dickens continued to remain relevant through the rest of his career by making appearances on the Opry stage and guesting in music videos by the likes of Brad Paisley. Little Jimmy Dickens was 94 when he died of cardiac arrest on January 2, 2015.
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