Hybrid Rose Honors Little Jimmy Dickens

Little Jimmy Dickens' 60th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry was celebrated on Nov. 2. Pam Tillis made a surprise presentation of hybrid roses for the celebration which included the Grand Ole Opry rose and the Little Jimmy Dickens rose. The colors, sizes and shapes were chosen to reflect the uniqueness of Little Jimmy Dickens and the Grand Ole Opry and their contributions to Country Music. The roses were also presented as an expression of America’s appreciation for these musical icons. In regard to the roses, Tillis said, “It is a rare honor to have a rose named for you.  To date, there are just over a doze Country artists with roses named after them.”   The roses will be included in the new Nashville Music Garden in downtown Nashville.  The Nashville Music Garden is located at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Demonbreun across from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in the Hall of Fame Park.  The garden will be formally dedicated in the next year.The Nashville Music Garden is unique in that it honors singers, industry leaders and songwriters who have contributed to Nashville’s music community.  The garden began by honoring Country Music legend Barbara Mandrell after she gave her very own rose to her friend and fervent gardener, Pat Bullard. Bullard is also the Trustee of LifeWords, a Nashville charity foundation.  Mullard immediately recognized the roses as a new, exciting way to draw more attention to the Nashville music scene by honoring its icons all while beautifying the Music City.Ground for the garden was broken on Nov. 20, 2007, for the 2,700 square foot garden.  Then, on March 6, 2008, "Always Love You" and "Nashville Rose," the first two roses, were planted during a ceremony. Since the first two roses were installed, three dozen roses have been added to the Nashville Garden.  Amy Grant, Dolly Parton, Lynn Anderson, Barbara Mandrell, Elvis Presley, Pam Tillis and Reba McEntire roses are already included in the garden, among many others. The LifeWorks Foundation funded the garden supported by MetroParks, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the Nashville Rose Society. For more information, visit www.nashvillemusicgarden.com.