Jimmy Ray Dean American country singer, television host, actor and businessman Date of Birth: 10.08.1928 Country: USA

Biography of Jimmy Ray Dean

Jimmy Ray Dean was an American country singer, television host, actor, and businessman. He is best known for his brand 'Jimmy Dean Sausage', but in the 1960s, he was quite famous on television. Dean's fame came in 1961, after the success of his hit song 'Big Bad John'. In addition to his music career, he also had acting roles, including a supporting role in the film 'Diamonds Are Forever' from the James Bond series.

Dean was born in Plainview, Texas and developed an interest in music after attending a local Baptist church. He did not complete his education in school and spent some time in the US Air Force before deciding to pursue a career in entertainment. Notable artists such as Patsy Cline and Roy Clark started their careers with Jimmy Dean. However, Clark eventually fired Dean from his team due to slow reaction time, and he was replaced by Billy Grammer. Dean had a better relationship with Cline and they toured together across the country.

In 1953, Dean released his first successful hit, 'Bummin' Around', but he was unable to create anything particularly popular in the 1950s. He hosted a television show on CBS in the 1950s and later worked on a news program on the same channel in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1961, Dean released his biggest hit, 'Big Bad John'. The song was recorded in Nashville and quickly reached the top spot on the Billboard pop charts. It was often imitated and parodied, and it earned Dean a Grammy Award in 1962.

Although Dean was unable to replicate the success of 'Big Bad John', he had several other successful compositions. He frequently appeared on 'Top-40' charts and even reached the 'Top-10' with the song 'PT-109' about the heroism of John F. Kennedy in World War II. In the early 1960s, Dean worked on another television show and even featured his old friend Roy Clark in one of the episodes. In the mid-1960s, he launched his own show, 'The Jimmy Dean Show', on ABC-TV. The show regularly featured various popular country stars, such as Roger Miller, George Jones, Charlie Rich, and Buck Owens. Dean also frequently performed sketches with one of the Muppets, Rowlf the Dog.

In 1966, Dean began his acting career in films, shortly after the end of his own show. His most memorable character was billionaire Willard Whyte in the 1971 film 'Diamonds Are Forever'. He also appeared in television series. Despite his acting pursuits, Dean continued to make music, and in the mid-1960s, his position as a singer remained strong. In 1965, he released his second hit, 'The First Thing Ev'ry Morning (And the Last Thing Ev'ry Night)', and later 'Harvest Of Sunshine'. A year later, Dean signed a contract with RCA Records and released the successful single 'Stand Beside Me'.

In 1976, Dean sold one million copies of the song 'I.O.U.', dedicated to his mother and all mothers around the world. The song was released shortly after Mother's Day and quickly became one of the top country songs. In 1969, Dean founded the company 'Jimmy Dean Sausage' and worked in partnership with his brother, Don. The business thrived, in part due to Dean's humorous advertising campaigns, which he created himself. Dean continued to pursue music until his death. Although he was nominated for a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame, he did not receive it during his lifetime.