Jimmy Dean was born 85 years ago today. A country music singer, television host, actor and businessman, Dean he may be best known today as the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand, he became a national television personality starting in 1957, rising to fame for his 1961 country crossover hit "Big Bad John" and his television series, The Jimmy Dean Show, which also gave puppeteer Jim Henson his first national media exposure. His acting career included a supporting role as Willard Whyte in the 1971 James Bond movie, Diamonds Are Forever. On February 23, 2010, Dean was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. He was to have been inducted in October. Dean died at the age of 81, on June 13, 2010, of natural causes at his home in Varina, Virginia. He is entombed in a 9-foot-tall piano-shaped mausoleum overlooking the James River on the grounds of his estate. His epitaph reads "Here Lies One Hell of a Man", which is a quote from a lyric from his uncensored version of the song "Big Bad John.” Here, Dean performs “Big Bad John” in 1962.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 10:43:22 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015