Little Jimmy Dickens, Oldest Opry Member, Dies at 94

AP via ABC News ^ | January 2, 2015 | AP

[mrsmel]

Love Ricky Skaggs, and that song is one of my favorites. If the history of country music interests you, there’s a fantastic multi-episode documentary on YouTube, BBC-produced, about the history of country music. It starts with The Original Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, goes through the Shania and Garth thing, and up to Gillian Welch and the people who are steering clear of Music Row in order to protect the integrity of their music. It’s a bit out of date on the end era, but the beginning and middle are fantastic, as BBC documentaries are traditionally when they don’t try to politicise them. It also touches on bluegrass ( I believe that “O Brother” was big when the documentary was made). It was cool to recall the era of the neo-traditionalists-Dwight Yoakum, Randy Travis, etc.

[mrsmel]

For some reason that reminded me of the “King Biscuit Flour Hour”

[blam]

"I was 11 at the time."

I was 14.

My parents loved The Opry and all associated with it...I didn't.

Here's Jimmy with June Carter:

Jimmy And June

[a fool in paradise]

If the history of country music interests you, there’s a fantastic multi-episode documentary on YouTube, BBC-produced, about the history of country music. It starts with The Original Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, goes through the Shania and Garth thing, and up to Gillian Welch and the people who are steering clear of Music Row in order to protect the integrity of their music.

I'll have to watch this sometime, I've watched a number of other BBC4 documentaries on modern music.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLICzuTNeb3tTbIIvm1389tY1VYwav-QrC

There was a great music documentary from the 70s (that traces the history of popular music, there are 17 episodes but the first one I think is just a sampler and not considered 'essential'). It's called "All You Need Is Love". I only see the (50s) rock and roll episode (vol 12) on youtube right now. The country episode is interesting.

[SunkenCiv]

Did a gig the day after his 94th b-day? Good for him! I just hope he gets to see too many kinfolk now. :’)

[mrsmel]

I love music history of all genres (excepting rap “music”, which I just can’t consider to be music), so I’ll look that up. Thanks!

[a fool in paradise]

Modern “music” isn’t music either. It certainly doesn’t deserve to be called rock. Just 3 minutes of programmed dee-do-dee-do-dee-do-dee-do-dee-do-dee-do notes.

You can hear this crud in so much tv and radio advertising these days too.

[mrsmel]

I agree. Pop is more a “product” than music, than it ever was before.

I should clarify, I don’t like all kinds of music, but I do like music history of all kinds. Rap still ain’t music :)

For listening, i prefer bluegrass, classic country (pre-Garth, Shania, etc), progressive rock of the 70s, opera, operetta, classic rock, a very little pop, Spanish guitar. I admire virtuosity.

[NKP_Vet]

Jimmy Dickens is another link to the great Hank Williams that we have lost. He was a good friend of and toured with Hank, as did Ray Price, who was also a good friend of Hank’s. Here’s Hank and Little Jimmy singing “The Old Country Church”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KdFFhZIw_0