It is sad that Keith Whitley had five No.1 hits over the last two years of his life. His Don’t Close Your Eyes album had three No.1 hits in the title song, When You Say Nothing at All and I’m No Stranger to the Rain.
His next album I Wonder Do You Think of Me included his last No.1 hits of It Ain’t Nothin’ and I’m Over You.
Keith Whitley singing the title cut off his Don’t Close Your Eyes album.
Lorrie Morgan added her voice to Til a Tear Becomes a Rose sung by Keith Whitley.
Keith Whitley singing I’m No Stranger to the Rain in 1989. By the end of year he would be dead due to alcoholic poisoning at the age of 44.
Little Jimmy Dickens shown much earlier in his country music career.
Little Jimmy Dickens will be 90 on December 19. He was born in 1920 in Bolt, West Virginia. He is the oldest living member of the Grand Ole Opry of which he has been a member for 60 years.
A little known fact is that he is a descendant of Charles Dickens the author of A Christmas Carol.
He has never let his 4 foot 11 size hold him back and it may have even brought more attention to him as he climbed the ladder of success in country music.
Hank Williams Sr. wrote his hit song Hey Good Lookin’ expressly for Dickens but changed his mind saying “That song’s too good for you”.
Dickens has been singing since the late 30′s and has been singing now for nine decades. He recorded five Top 10 hits in 1949-1950 but wouldn’t have another Top 10 hit till Out Behind the Barn reached No.9 on the charts.
He recorded his only No.1 hit in 1965 when May the Bird of Paradise Fly up Your Nose went to No.1 on the country music chart.
It has been 38 years since he last had a song in the Top 100 country music songs chart.
Little Jimmy Dickens questions whether Brad Paisley should have won a best video award saying that Taylor Swift deserved to win.
Little Jimmy Dickens was known for his novelty tunes but he could sing a country ballad with the best of them as in this song Another Bridge to Burn.
Little Jimmy Dickens singing Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed.
One of my best memories of Little Jimmy Dickens is when he was on a television show and told the fans to knock on his door because his fans are the reason he has what he has.
Many country music stars have been let go by the Grand Ole Opry over the years but Little Jimmy Dickens should be a member of the Grand Ole Opry as long as there is life in him because he is a living icon that represents country music at its best for nine decades.
Actor Hal Smith will always be remembered for his portrayal of the Mayberry town drunk Otis Campbell on the Andy Griffith Show.
The voice of Winnie the Pooh was voiced by actor Hal Smith who also was the voice of Goofy after Vance Colvig the voice of Goofy died in 1967.
Hal Smith will always be remembered as Otis Campbell the town drunk on the Andy Griffith Show even though Andy Griffith and Don Knotts reportedly said he never drank in real life. However he has something in common with Winnie the Pooh in that he was also the voice of Winnie the Pooh.
He appeared in 32 Andy Griffith shows but left the show in 1966 when the sponsors of the show voiced concerns over the excessive drinking by his character. My favorite episode is when the jail is too crowded for Otis to use his regular cell so Andy sends him to his house where “Warden” Aunt Bee makes him wish he was back in the Mayberry jail.
Otis played a glue dipper which seems like a strange profession for such a small town and would arrest himself and let himself into his cell and was usually free to leave the jail since the key was in his reach outside the cell except in instances like this when Barney Fife thought he needed some interrogation before being released.
Barney interrogates Otis to see if he is fit to be released out into society.
Smith also was the voice of Winnie the Pooh and Owl for the Disney channel.
He became the voice of Goofy and Woody Woodpecker when the previous actors who voiced those characters died.
Thanks for the memories and for being such a great entertainer.
His Find A Grave page has even more info on Hal and shows his place in the mausoleum:
This is one of the many tributes written for Hal at the Find A Grave website:
Hal, So many great laughts that I can’t even count them!What a great part you played as Otis Campbell the drunk.I still watch you even to this day and never get tired of watching you!I see also that your son and wife have passed on also!I hope you are finding great peace with you family in heaven!May god bless you and your family in your new life with out lord and savior Jesus Christ!See you heaven!God Bless!
- Richard Colson Added: Oct. 3, 2008
