Image Courtesy Chris Hollo/Grand Ole OpryCountry Music Hall of Fame member Little Jimmy Dickens was remembered with a Celebration of Life service Thursday at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House. His friend Brad Paisley served as the emcee of the two-hour service and remembered Jimmy as a man who took chances, enjoyed life, treated people very well and found his true love in his wife of nearly 43 years, Mona. Brad also said Little Jimmy Dickens was just the right height at 4’11”.
Brad said with a laugh, “I, for one, don’t want to live in a world of Big Jim Dickens.”
Brad later paid tribute to his friend with a performance of “When I Get Where I’m Going.” Chris Young recalled his time spent fishing with Jimmy before singing “No Tears in Heaven.” Vince Gill played a guitar that had once belonged to Jimmy’s late guitar player, Jabbo Arrington, for his performance of “Go Rest High on That Mountain” with Carrie Underwood. Carrie shared a very funny story about her mother warning her about meeting Jimmy when she made her Opry debut in 2005.
“She told me, ‘Watch out for Little Jimmy Dickens, because he likes the pretty girls,'” Carrie said with a laugh. “And every single time I ever got to meet him or see him from that moment on, he would always kiss my hand. Definitely had a little piece of my heart, for sure. Gladly gave it to him.”
A video montage shown during the service featured Little Jimmy’s funniest jokes and skits on the Opry stage as well as bits of his recent comedic appearances on the CMA Awards with hosts Brad and Carrie.
Connie Smith, Old Crow Medicine Show and Steve Wariner also performed in Little Jimmy’s honor. Trisha Yearwood, Trace Adkins, The Oak Ridge Boys, Lorrie Morgan, Lee Greenwood and several cast members of ABC’s Nashville were spotted in the crowd paying their respects to the Opry star. The service closed with everyone in the Opry House singing “Will the Circle Be Unbroken” before Little Jimmy Dickens’ casket was rolled out down the middle aisle.
He was 94-years-old when he died from cardiac arrest on January 2.
