Carvell Lee Ausborn (September 24, 1923 – December 1, 1973), better known by his stage name, Mississippi Slim, was a

hillbilly Hillbilly is a term (often derogatory) for people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas in the United States, primarily in southern Appalachia and the Ozarks. The term was later used to refer to people from other rural and mountainous areas west ...

singer who had a

radio show A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode. Radio networ ...

on Tupelo's

WELO Wollo (Amharic language, Amharic: ወሎ) was a historical Provinces of Ethiopia, province of northern Ethiopia that overlayed part of the present day Amhara Region, Amhara, Afar Region, Afar, and Tigray Region, Tigray regions. During the Middle ...

during the later 1940s and recorded for

Tennessee Records {{Unreferenced, date=December 2009 Tennessee Records was a mid-20th century United States based record label, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Tennessee mostly released country music, but the label's biggest hit was " Down Yonder", a ragti ...

. Ausborn also gained fame among Elvis Presley historians because he was one of the earliest musical influences of the young Presley and once let him sing on his radio show.

Biography

Ausborn was born in

Smithville, Mississippi Smithville is a town in Monroe County, Mississippi. The population was 509 at the 2020 census. Smithville is the birthplace of Rod Brasfield, a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. History Smithville is located on lands purchased from Chic ...

. According to Peter Guralnick, he had taken up guitar at the age of 13 to pursue a career in music. He was inspired by

Jimmie Rodgers James Charles Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as "the Father of Country Music", he is best known for his distinctive rhythmi ...

Hank Williams Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...

Ernest Tubb Ernest Dale Tubb (February 9, 1914 – September 6, 1984), nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" (1941), m ...

and Ausborn's cousin Rod Brasfield, a then prominent country comedian who toured with

. Slim travelled all over the country with Goober and His Kentuckians and the Bisbee's Comedians tent show and even joined the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a divis ...

once or twice, largely on the strength of his cousin's connections. He also became known as one of Elvis Presley's first musical heroes and critics. According to Bill Mitchell, Slim "was a good entertainer" who put on a "pretty lively show," primarily "love songs with comedy. The people really enjoyed it."

Discography

* 1951 – "You’re Gonna Be Sorry" b/w "Memory Of You" (Tennessee 738) * 1951 – "Beer Drinkin’ Blues" b/w "I'm Through Cryin' Over You" (Tennessee 745) * 1953 – "I’m A Long Gone Doggie" b/w "I Know You Can't Be True" (Tennessee 794) * 1953 – "Tired Of Your Lies" b/w "Queen For A Day" (Tennessee 827)

References

External links

The bopping honky-tonk style of the elusive MISSISSIPPI SLIM (1952–55)

Mississippi Slim discography on Discogs

Mississippi Slim – 78 RPM – Discography

Pvt Carvel L. “Mississippi Slim” Ausborn
1923 births 1973 deaths American country singer-songwriters Country musicians from Mississippi Grand Ole Opry members People from Monroe County, Mississippi 20th-century American singers Tennessee Records artists Singer-songwriters from Mississippi {{US-country-singer-stub