This Bolt (Raleigh County) native began performing in the 1930s while attending West Virginia University but left school to focus on his music. He got his start on West Virginia radio stations WJLS in Beckley and WMMN in Fairmont before joining the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in 1949.

Standing 4'11", Dickens was known for his fun, humorous songs like "Take an Old Cold Tater and Wait," "I’m Little But I’m Loud," and his biggest hit, "May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose." He wore flashy rhinestone suits and often joked on stage about his height.

He toured Europe, performed for U.S. troops in Vietnam, and appeared in music videos with Brad Paisley. In 1983, he became the first West Virginian elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame and was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2007.

He performed until shortly before his death at age 94, making him the longest-running member of the Grand Ole Opry.