Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American
country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. Although he may be best known today as the creator of the
Jimmy Dean sausage brand, he became a national television personality starting on
CBS in 1957. He rose to fame for his 1961 country crossover hit "
Big Bad John" and his 1963
ABC 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. He lived near
Richmond,
Virginia, and was nominated for the
Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010, although he was formally inducted posthumously.