Little Jimmy Dickens Is 90 Years Young
There were many warm hearts at Rippy's Barbecue to honor Grand Ole Opry member Little Jimmy Dickens on a cold night in Nashville Wednesday (January 19). Several hundred friends and family were on hand to celebrate the singer's 90th birthday.
Jimmy, whose hits include 'May The Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose' and 'Out Behind the Barn,' received many wishes of good health and a wonderful year from a bevy of entertainers, including Bill Anderson, David Frizzell, Bryan White, Jan Howard, Dana Williams of Diamond Rio, Nancy comic strip artist Guy Gilchrist, and Riders in the Sky members Ranger Doug, Too Slim and Joey the Cowpolka King. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean was there to present a proclamation to Jimmy, and the entire room of people sang "Happy Birthday" to the gentle man whom everyone loves.
Jimmy began celebrating his birthday Saturday, when Brad Paisley surprised him with a cake on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. The entertainer is the oldest living member of the Opry, of which he has been a member for more than 60 years.
Friends were quick to share their favorite Little Jimmy stories. "There for a time I kept running into him at Harris Teeter grocery store," Bryan White told The Boot. "The first time it happened I was just walking down an aisle and there he was. Then I ran into him a couple more times, and finally when he'd see me at the Opry he'd just say, 'See you at the grocery store!' It's such an honor to call him my friend and to be here to celebrate with him."
Bill Anderson recalled meeting Jimmy for the first time when he was 14. "He did a show in Atlanta and I somehow managed to get backstage," he recalled. "He was so nice to me and took the time to talk to me. He explained why he used a capo on his guitar, and he didn't have to take any time to talk to me at all. He's a wonderful human being."
Danielle Peck said Jimmy was the first person to introduce her on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. "It was December 2005, and it was a big night for me to begin with, but to have someone like Jimmy introduce me was such an honor. He made me feel at home. He's such a nice man, and he has a very quick wit about him."
Ranger Doug and Joey from Riders in the Sky agree that Jimmy has a great sense of humor. Joey related an incident when the group was taping their 'Rider's Radio Show' about 20 years ago, and called to ask him if he would wear a tutu in a skit they wanted to do. "Without hesitation he said yes," Joey recalled. "At the end of the skit, he was bombarded with fake potatoes (referencing his hit 'Take An Old Cold 'Tater and Wait'). Then we all had the idea to have him sign for each of us one of those fake potatoes, and to this day that is one of our treasured collectibles."
Dana said that when he first came to town he heard a story about fellow Opry member Del Reeves throwing Jimmy off the Opry stage, into the second row of pews and right into a lady's lap. He finally got up enough nerve to ask Jimmy if that was a true story.
"Jimmy just looked at me and said, 'If I was a guessin' man, I'd say it is,'" Dana remembers. "So I can't say for sure but it does sound like that might be one of those stories that turns out to be true!"
Guy, who often features country artists in his 'Nancy' comic strip, presented Jimmy with a copy of the strip that will run February 17. It depicts Jimmy as King Kong, hovering over the Nashville skyline. If I was a guessin' man, I'd say it was all part of Nancy's dream, but who am I to say?
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