In honor of Little Jimmy Dickens’ birthday today (Dec. 19), Brad Paisley teamed up with world-renowned Madame Tussauds and the Grand Ole Opry to reveal Little Jimmy’s first wax figure that will be joining the new Nashville-area attraction, which is slated to open in the spring at Nashville’s Opry Mills.
Brad honored his late friend at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night (Dec. 17) by playing one of Little Jimmy’s songs, “Out Behind the Barn,” and unveiling the wax figure in front of a sold-out audience. Jimmy’s figure, which portrays him from the 1960s, shows the four-foot, 11-inch-singer in his signature rhinestone-studded suit, a “JD” ring, cowboy boots and cowboy hat. His figure’s smiling expression was decided by his wife, Mona, so visitors could experience the twinkle in his eye.
“I’m floored at the likeness,” Brad said. “Jimmy gave the Opry the personality it deserved. He was the kindest to new artists of anybody. He was never judgmental and he was always extremely supportive. He was a man who loved everyone and I’m honored to sing one of his songs [“Out Behind the Barn”].”
Madame Tussauds Nashville attraction is a new interactive wax experience where guests have the unique opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the world’s biggest musical icons. Each Madame Tussauds figure involves teams of professional artists and sculptors who spend months on extensive research and take more than 300 measurements to recreate world-famous icons.
The Nashville site will be themed Soundtrack of America and will celebrate iconic musicians from the past and present. It will also be the company’s first attraction in the U.S. that focuses solely on music icons that have shaped America’s musical landscape. Artists already announced for the Nashville attraction include Carrie Underwood, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Minnie Pearl, Johnny Cash and Taylor Swift, with many more to be announced in the coming weeks.
For more information on the new figures, visit the attractions website.