A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame since 1983, Dickens is survived by his wife Mona (whom he married in 1971) and his two daughters, Pamela Detert and Lisa King.

Dickens is best known for goofy but well-written and -recorded novelty songs such as "Take An Old Cold Tater (And Wait)," "May The Bird Of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose," "A-Sleeping at the Foot of the Bed," and "Out Behind The Barn."

Though these often silly songs became the foundation of his repertoire, Dickens actually recorded a wide range of material over his long career, including rockabilly numbers ("I've Got a Hole in My Pocket"), sacred songs (such as "Old Rugged Cross" and the curious period piece "They Locked God Outside the Iron Curtain") and a surprising number of ballads like "The Violet and the Rose" and "Life Turned Her That Way"), which showed he was plenty capable of reaching emotional places far beyond the funny bone.