Little Jimmy Dickens

Madame Tussauds unveiled a Little Jimmy Dickens wax figure at the Grand Ole Opry on Dec. 17.

If, one year ago, we'd looked into the future of country music in 2015, we would have been shocked, excited, confused, heartbroken, encouraged and more.

Country music has seen a number of its most talented artists pass away this year, from singers who influenced the direction of the genre from its onset to artists who were influential in bringing country to the masses up to the point of their passing.

Eighteen of Little Jimmy Dickens' guitars are going up for sale.

Vince Gill lost a longtime friend when Little Jimmy Dickens passed away in January, and an especially poignant moment in their friendship became even more meaningful after Dickens' death.

So far, 2015 has not been a quiet year in the realm of country music. Happy moments, including new babies, gorgeous weddings, exciting tours and major accomplishments, have filled the calendar to date, along with a few devastating losses -- and the year is only about halfway over!

The entire country music community mourned when Little Jimmy Dickens passed away on Jan. 2. But aside from Dickens' family, perhaps no one felt the loss as strongly as Brad Paisley, who says the 94-year-old reminded him of his own grandfather, who died when Paisley was just a child.

There was no one more fitting than Brad Paisley to pay tribute to Little Jimmy Dickens at his memorial service on Thursday (Jan. 8).

Tears were free falling as Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Vince Gill and more took the stage to perform 'Will the Circle Be Unbroken' at Little Jimmy Dickens' Grand Ole Opry memorial service on Thursday (Jan. 8).

Vince Gill and Carrie Underwood paid tribute to the late Little Jimmy Dickens at his memorial service on Thursday (Jan. 8) with an emotional performance of Gill's Grammy-winning 1995 hit 'Go Rest High on That Mountain.'