Little Jimmy Dickens in hospital, listed critical

 

Grand Ole Opry legend Little Jimmy Dickens has been hospitalized with an undisclosed illness.

Jessie Schmidt, a publicist for the Opry, said in a news release Sunday that Dickens was admitted to a Nashville-area hospital on Dec. 25 and that he’s in “critical care.”

His last performance at the Opry was Dec. 20 as part of his birthday celebration. He turned 94 a day earlier.

Dickens, who is 4-foot-11, has performed on the Opry almost continuously since 1948. He became an Opry member in 1948 and was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1983.

His hits include “Take An Old Cold Tater (And Wait),” ‘‘Country Boy,” ‘‘Out Behind The Barn,” and “May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose.”