Little Jimmy Dempsey Biography
Little Jimmy Dempsey began his professional singing career at the age of five as a performer on radio stations in his native Atlanta, which led to appearances on national broadcasts with such luminaries as Bob Hope, Eddie Cantor and Phil Harris. From 1946 to 1948, Dempsey starred in his own Atlanta radio show. He became the lead guitarist for the Longhorn Ranch Boys, a popular Atlanta bar band, during the 1950s, and in 1958 began leading the Cherokee Country Boys, with whom he made his recording debut. In 1962, Dempsey left the group to found his own trio. Among his best-known singles were “Bop Hop” and “Rhode Island Red,” as well as humorous originals such as “Bessie Was a Good Old Cow” and “Betcha Can’t Eat Just One.” From the late ’50s through the early ’60s, Dempsey was part of the Ernest Tubb Radio Program; he also appeared on a German show, American Music. In 1968, he hosted his own syndicated television program before vanishing from the music and entertainment scene.
