Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor, and businessman. He gained fame with his 1961 hit Big Bad John, which won a Grammy and sold over a million copies. He also hosted The Jimmy Dean Show (1963 – 1966), which introduced Jim Henson’s Muppets to a national audience.
Born in Seth Ward, Texas, Dean was raised in Plainview, where he developed a love for music through his Baptist church. He dropped out of high school and served in the U.S. Air Force before pursuing entertainment. His career began with radio, where he helped launch the careers of Patsy Cline and Roy Clark.
Dean’s acting career included roles in Daniel Boone and Diamonds Are Forever (1971), where he played billionaire Willard Whyte. Beyond entertainment, he founded the Jimmy Dean Sausage Company in 1969, becoming a successful businessman and the brand’s spokesman. Though Sara Lee acquired the company in 1984, his voice and image remained part of its marketing.
A generous philanthropist, Dean donated to education and his hometown, inspiring a museum in his honor. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010 but passed away before the ceremony. He is buried on his Virginia estate, his tombstone reading: "Here Lies One Hell of a Man".