Carvell Lee Ausborn (September 24, 1923 – December 1, 1973), better known by his stage name, Mississippi Slim, was a hillbilly singer who had a radio show on

Tupelo Tupelo , genus ''Nyssa'' , is a small genus of deciduous trees with alternate, simple leaves. It is sometimes included in the subfamily Nyssoideae of the dogwood family, Cornaceae, but is placed by other authorities in the family Nyssaceae. In ...

WELO Wollo ( Amharic: ወሎ) was a historical province of northern Ethiopia that overlayed part of the present day Amhara, Afar, and Tigray regions. During the Middle Ages this region was known as Bete Amhara and had Amhara kings. Bete Amhara had ...

during the later 1940s and recorded for Tennessee Records. Ausborn also gained fame among

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

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 Chi ...

. According to

Peter Guralnick Peter Guralnick (born December 15, 1943, in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American music critic, author, and screenwriter. He specializes in the history of early rock and roll and has written on Elvis Presley, Sam Phillips, and Sam Cooke. Caree ...

, he had taken up guitar at the age of 13 to pursue a career in music. He was inspired by Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb and Ausborn's cousin

Rod Brasfield Rodney Leon Brasfield (August 22, 1910 – September 12, 1958) was an American comedian who was prominently featured on the Grand Ole Opry from 1947 until his death in 1958. In 1987, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Life and ...

, a then prominent country comedian who toured with Hank Williams. 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 once or twice, largely on the strength of his cousin's connections. He also became known as one of

'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