Born in
Worthington, Minnesota, United States, and the son of Tiny Little, Sr., a prominent musician and bandleader, Big Tiny Little, Jr. first took up playing piano at the age of five, becoming both a
honky-tonk,
ragtime pianist and playing other instruments such as the
organ,
bass horn and
bass fiddle. After playing in his father's band for a while, he joined the
United States Air Force and did a tour in the
Far East. He became a member of
Lawrence Welk's famous "champagne music makers" just one month after Welk's national TV debut in 1955. A regular feature of Welk's popular show, Tiny's outstanding keyboard artistry won him millions of fans from coast to coast. He was featured in solo performances of old
Tin Pan Alley tunes, but he also worked quietly as a member of the Welk ensemble, at the rear of the bandstand, playing background piano alongside singer-pianist
Larry Hooper. After his tenure on the show (he was replaced by
Jo Ann Castle), Little went solo again; recording more than 45
albums and making guest appearances on several
television programs over the years. More recently, he played with Mary Lou Metzger,
Jack Imel,
Ralna English,
Ava Barber and
Dick Dale in the touring
Live Lawrence Welk Show. Little also performed at President Ronald
Reagan's inaugural balls in 1985 and returned to television in the
PBS special;
Lawrence Welk: Milestones and Memories, which featured a reunion of stars from the Welk show.
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show of January 20, 1963, was devoted entirely to masters of the piano, featuring
Dinah Shore's four guests,
Liberace,
Peter Nero,
Ray Charles and Big Tiny Little. He lived in
Carson City, Nevada, and died there on March 3, 2010, aged 79. ==Discography==