Country legend Little Jimmy Dickens has died aged 94.
Jimmy Dickens’ spokeswoman Jessie Schmidt said the singer died on January 2 of cardiac arrest after suffering a stroke on Christmas Day.
His novelty songs, including May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose, earned him a spot in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1983.
Jimmy Dickens is also credited with introducing rhinestone suits to country music.
He was the oldest member of the Grand Ole Opry, a weekly music concert broadcast live on radio from Nashville, Tennessee.
Little Jimmy Dickens had performed almost continuously on the show since 1948, making his last performance on December 20 to celebrate his 94th birthday.
Pete Fisher, vice-president of the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, said the show “did not have a better friend than Little Jimmy Dickens”.
“He was a one-of-a-kind entertainer and a great soul whose spirit will live on for years to come,” he added.
Despite being just 4ft 11in tall, Jimmy Dickens said he had never been self-conscious about his height.
“It’s been very good for me. I’ve made fun of it, and get a laugh here and there,” he said in a 2009 interview.
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Legendary country singer George Hamilton IV has died at a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 77.
George Hamilton IV passed away on September 17, just days after suffering a heart attack.
A statement posted on the singer’s official website reads: “Grand Ole Opry Legend George Hamilton IV The International Ambassador of Country Music passed away … at Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital with his family by his side. George IV suffered a serious heart attack on Saturday and had been in critical condition from that time. The Hamilton family greatly appreciates everyone’s prayers!”
George Hamilton IV began his music career while studying at the University of North Carolina, scoring a chart success with his song A Rose and A Baby Ruth in 1956. He went on to land a slew of hits and was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1960.
George Hamilton IV was named the International Ambassador of Country Music after becoming the first country singer to perform in the Soviet Union
He embraced folk music in the late 1960s, working with stars including Joni Mitchell, and in the early 1970s, he was named the International Ambassador of Country Music after becoming the first country singer to perform in the Soviet Union.
In the 1970s, George Hamilton IV also hosted a number of TV shows in the UK and Canada.
George Hamilton IV last performed at the Grand Ole Opry on September 6, just days before his death.
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