Mississippi Slim

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Mississippi Slim is the stage name of Carvel Lee Ausborn (1923 - 1959 of pneumonia), a hillbilly singer with a radio show on Tupelo's WELO during the later 1940s.

Ausborn was born in Smithville, Mississippi. According to Peter Guralnick, he had taken up guitar at the age of thirteen to pursue a career in music. He was inspired by Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, Ernest Tubb and Ausborn's cousin Rod Brasfield, a then prominent country comedian who toured with Hank Williams.

Mississippi 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 Elvis Presley's first musical heroes and critics.

According to Bill Mitchell, Mississippi Slim "was a good entertainer" who put on a "pretty lively show", primarily "love songs with comedy". "The people really enjoyed it."

Mississippi Slim passed away in the 1980s or early 1990s.