Ryman Auditorium Unveils Bronze Statues Of Little Jimmy Dickens And Bill Monroe

Little Jimmy Dickens and Bill Monroe

The RYMAN AUDITORIUM in NASHVILLE unveiled life-sized statues of LITTLE JIMMY DICKENS and BILL MONROE this MORNING (6/7), which were commissioned by the RYMAN in recognition of its 125th anniversary. DICKENS' statue is adjacent to the landmark statue of riverboat captain THOMAS G. RYMAN on the Fourth Avenue side of the RYMAN, while MONROE's is located near the Fifth Avenue driveway side of the building.

BRAD PAISLEY and RICKY SKAGGS were on hand for the unveiling, with each sharing words about the two icons. "This was a man who was honing his craft before HANK WILLIAMS, who we sort of credit as the father of modern Country music in many ways," said PAISLEY of DICKENS. "He gave them everything that he had on that stage, and in this building, for many many years. So, I think it's really appropriate that he's going to be one of the statues that's a permanent reminder of what we should be in this building." Added SKAGGS of MONROE, "I don't know if you ever get another BILL MONROE in a century. There's not a lot of people that I know of who could be cited as creating a whole new genre of music, but he did. He had the ear to hear it, the talent to play it and the heart to keep it alive because he was strong, he was powerful. I don't know any person who could have withstood, pushed through and made it like him. He had music in his veins."

« see more Net News