Remembering Jimmy Dean, Entertainer and Sausage King, Dead at 81
Some Spelled it as Jimmie Dean, but the Truth was Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Dean will be remembered for his wonderful sausage as well as his entertainment success. His concerts featuring his 1961 hit "Big, Bad John" and his television series, "The Jimmy Dean Show" were successful in part because he enjoyed his audiences and their reactions to his work.
Jimmy Dean passed away at home, and his passing came as a surprise to his family. His health had been good and his death was unexpected.
Younger generations may only remember him for his specialty meats such as bacon, sausage and ham, as well as the commercials he starred in, but many would be surprised to know that he actually was in the James Bond 007 movie starring opposite Sean Connery in "Diamonds are Forever" in 1971 as well as a guest host for the Tonight Show.
Jimmy Dean was high school dropout with a background in poverty raised in Plainview, Texas. In spite of this, or maybe because of it, was driven to succeed and thoroughly enjoyed himself along the way.
His Jimmy Dean Pure Pork Sausage became a number one best seller in its product category. He started the company in 1969 in Texas and later sold it to the Sara Lee Corporation in
Jimmy Dean also was instrumental in introducing George Jones, Charlie Rich, and Buck Owens to country music fans. Another person he helped to establish was Roy Clark of "Hee Haw" fame. It seems Roy Clark was Jimmy Dean's band member. However, Roy Clark habitually showed up late for gigs and Jimmy Dean fired him.
"Big Bad John" may have been his first musical success but several of his subsequent songs charted in the Top 40, and he scored a Top 10 hit in 1962 with a song commemorating President John F. Kennedy's plywood torpedo boat, "PT 109."
In the fall of 2004, Jimmy Dean published his autobiography, "30 Years of Sausage, 50 Years of Ham."
In February, 2010, Jimmy Dean was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame. His fellow inductees include Ferlin Husky, Billy Sherrill, and Don Williams. The Country Music Association inducts members in to the Country Music Hall of Fame recognizing the contributions to country music. Tragically, Jimmy Dean died before October's induction ceremony.
Published by Sharyl Stockstill - Featured Contributor in Lifestyle
Sharyl Stockstill is a Top 500 Associated Content producer with articles on Shine, Y! Finance, Y! News, Y! Movies, Y Television and Y! Sports. She has also been published in numerous print publications inclu... View profile
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