9 3 0 s , ▁performing ▁on ▁radio ▁station ▁W J LS ▁in ▁Beck ley , ▁West ▁Virginia , ▁while ▁att ending ▁West ▁Virginia ▁University . ▁He ▁soon ▁quit ▁school ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁full - time ▁music ▁career , ▁travel ing ▁the ▁country ▁performing ▁on ▁local ▁radio ▁stations ▁under ▁the ▁name ▁" J im my ▁the ▁Kid ". ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁Dick ens ▁was ▁heard ▁performing ▁on ▁W K N X , ▁a ▁radio ▁station ▁in ▁S ag ina w , ▁Michigan ▁while ▁on ▁location ▁at ▁Buck ▁Lake ▁R anch , ▁Ang ola ▁Indiana . ▁Roy ▁Ac uff ▁introduced ▁him ▁to ▁Art ▁S ather ly ▁at ▁Columbia ▁Records ▁and ▁officials ▁from ▁the ▁Grand ▁Ole ▁O pr y . ▁Dick ens ▁signed ▁with ▁Columbia ▁in ▁September ▁and ▁joined ▁the ▁O pr y ▁in ▁August . ▁Ar ound ▁this ▁time ▁he ▁began ▁using ▁the ▁nick name ▁Little ▁Jimmy ▁Dick ens , ▁inspired ▁by ▁his ▁short ▁stat ure . ▁ ▁Dick ens ▁recorded ▁many ▁novel ty ▁songs ▁for ▁Columbia , ▁including ▁" Country ▁Boy ", ▁" A - S leep ing ▁at ▁the ▁Foot ▁of ▁the ▁Bed ", ▁and ▁" I ' m ▁Little ▁but ▁I ' m ▁L oud ". ▁His ▁song ▁" Take ▁an ▁Old ▁Cold ▁T ater ▁( And ▁Wait )" ▁inspired ▁H ank ▁Williams ▁to ▁nick name ▁him ▁T ater . ▁Later , ▁telling ▁Dick ens ▁he ▁needed ▁a ▁hit , ▁Williams ▁wrote ▁" H ey ▁Good ▁Look in '" ▁in ▁only ▁ 2