Country music Hall of Fame entertainer Jimmy Dean has passed away. Widely known for writing and recording "Big Bad John" in the 1960s he also enjoyed notoriety for his Jimmy Dean sausage. Sara Lee, who owns the brand now, hogs grocery shelves with a variety of products proudly displaying Jimmy's name.
He and his brother Don started the sausage company in 1969 with headquarters in Plainview, Texas. Texas is a state generally known for cowboys and cattle, not swine. But Plainview was Jimmy's hometown where he grew up in poverty but enjoyed the blessings of a loving family. The brothers began raising pigs, producing sausage and marketing the production using Jimmy's popularity.
My upbringing was in the same area as Plainview. In a family just like the Deans we were not blessed with bushels of money but rich in so many other ways. Sausage was made from the leftovers of the hog after cutting out the hams and bacon. At Christmas my dad would slaughter one of our older hogs and grind the entire carcass into sausage. Those were our Christmas gifts to friends and extended families. Everyone privileged to receive a package always said our Christmas sausage was the best they had ever eaten.
Jimmy Dean was all about the best, even in the sausage business. From the first day in business he put everything but the squeal into his production. With his sausage he made Christmas available year-round.
With a full singing and performing schedule the weekends were the only times he could work on building the sausage business. That is when our paths crossed. The president of Continental Airlines had opened a President's Club in major airports, including Love Field. All guests were invited at his invitation, and I was lucky enough to have a membership. Jimmy Dean was also a member. On Friday afternoons as I returned from long business trips it was normal to have an hour or two layover at Love Field.
My final destination was Amarillo; Jimmy was pointed to Lubbock and then would drive to Plainview. I still treasure those hours spent in the Continental Club during layovers. Jimmy was as friendly and funny 24 hours a day as he was entertaining. In fact, he entertained all the time. It wasn't work to him. He wasn't entertaining - he was just enjoying life.
They would say to the audience at Presley appearances 'the king has left the building'. Just as Elvis will never be forgotten, so it is with Jimmy Dean.
He has left us but the whole hog king will not be forgotten. Millions and millions of Americans continue to enjoy his special sausage and "Big Bad John". I have no question Jimmy has them singing and laughing on his new stage.
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