Little Jimmy Dickens’ 90th Birthday Party – pictures and interview

13 years ago Liv Carter Comments Off on Little Jimmy Dickens’ 90th Birthday Party – pictures and interview

The phrase ‘living legend’ is often overused but in the case of Little Jimmy Dickens, the oldest living member if the Grand Ole Opry, it is spot on. And when one of Nashville’s most cherished citizens turns 90, there’s a big party! Little Jimmy’s friends at Tootsies and Rippy’s threw him a bash tonight and we had a brief chat with the guest of honor.

UCB: It’s a pleasure and an honor to meet you, sir. Happy birthday!
LJD: Thank you for coming tonight.

UCB: Looking back on your many years of recording songs, are their any which have a
special meaning for you, which you carry in your heart?
LJD: There were so many songs, but the ballads I did stand out. I guess especially ‘We Could’ and ‘Life Turned Her that Way.’

UCB: The other night at the Opry, you sang the song ‘Out Behind the Barn’. So…what kind of life lessons did you learn behind that barn?
LJD: (laughs) Well, I grew up among barns in the mountains of West Virginia; miners’ country. We were poor but we didn’t know it at the time. My grandfather worked every day until the day he died. And we thought we were rich because we had three meals every day.

UCB: After all these years, what is the one motivator for you to get up on the Opry stage each time?
LJD: I just love performing and I loved touring. I love seeing the people out there and know they came to listen to traditional country music. I know they had to pay to get to the show and they expect traditional country so that’s what I give them.

UCB: Were you able to play the Opry shows continuously since you joined?
LJD: No, I did a tour around the world courtesy of Uncle Sam in 1964 and didn’t play here. But since coming back from that, I haven’t missed the Opry again.

UCB: Thank you so much for your time.
LJD: Thank you!

The guest of honor with some of his close friends including Bill Anderson, Ranger Doug, 

The local media out in full force.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean pays tribute to Little Jimmy Dickens.

Interviewed by Channel 4’s Better Nashville.

Cutting the guitar-shaped cake.

90 and still loving a joke!

Liv Carter

Liv Carter

Liv is a career coach for creatives, and the people who work with them.
She holds several certificates from Berklee College of Music, and a certificate in Positive Psychology from UC Berkeley.
Her main influences are coffee, cats, and Alexander Hamilton.
Liv Carter

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