Thumbs Carllile
Kenneth Ray Carllile (April 2, 1931 – July 31, 1987), better known as Thumbs Carllile (Carlisle in some collections), was an American country music guitarist and songwriter known for his innovative zither-like fingerstyle playing, sitting with his guitar in his lap while fretting, picking, and strumming with his fingers and thumbs. He performed with Little Jimmy Dickens on the Grand Ole Opry in the early 1950s, and was a member of Roger Miller's band from 1964 to 1972. |
Birth and Death Data: Born (St. Louis (independent city in Missouri, United States)), Died July 31, 1987 (Decatur (city in and county seat of DeKalb County, Georgia, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1950 - 1954
Roles Represented in DAHR: electric guitar
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | RHCO4314 | 10-in. | 11/3/1950 | Bessie the heifer | "Little" Jimmy Dickens | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | RHCO4315 | 10-in. | 11/3/1950 | Lola Lee | "Little" Jimmy Dickens | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | RHCO4316 | 10-in. | 11/3/1950 | I'm little but I'm loud | "Little" Jimmy Dickens | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | RHCO4317 | 10-in. | 11/3/1950 | The Bible on the table (and the flag upon the wall) | "Little" Jimmy Dickens | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO45523 | 10-in. | 3/1/1951 | What about you | "Little" Jimmy Dickens | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO45524 | 10-in. | 3/1/1951 | The galvanized washing tub | "Little" Jimmy Dickens | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO45526 | 10-in. | 3/1/1951 | It may be silly (but ain't it fun) | "Little" Jimmy Dickens | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO46495 | 10-in. | 7/13/1951 | They don't know nothin' at all | "Little" Jimmy Dickens | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO47632 | 10-in. | 1/25/1952 | Waitress, waitress | "Little" Jimmy Dickens | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO51507 | 10-in. | 5/12/1954 | Take me as I am (or let me go) | "Little" Jimmy Dickens | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO51509 | 10-in. | 5/12/1954 | Blackeyed Joe's | "Little" Jimmy Dickens | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar | |
| Columbia | CO51510 | 10-in. | 5/12/1954 | A ribbon and a rose | "Little" Jimmy Dickens | Male vocal solo, with string band | instrumentalist, electric guitar |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Carllile, Thumbs," accessed January 7, 2026, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/376402.
Carllile, Thumbs. (2026). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved January 7, 2026, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/376402.
"Carllile, Thumbs." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2026. Web. 7 January 2026.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Carllile, Thumbs - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2006014230
Wikidata: Kenneth Carllile - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q15442728
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/73600651
MusicBrainz: Thumbs Carllile - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/46171dcd-75a6-4989-bb21-6911484f14ba
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