Jimmy Durante was born on February 10, 1893 and died on January 29, 1980. The Jimmy Dean Show: Singer Jimmy Dean Dies at 81 by Trevor Kimball, June 14, 2010 A business entrepreneur, singer, and TV show host, Jimmy Dean has passed away of natural causes… In 1961, Dean had a Number One hit with the song “Big Bad John,” which won him a Grammy for Best Country & Western Recording. (Rose/Liaison/Getty) Goodbye, Jimmy Dean. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV commercials. In the late '60s, Dean entered the hog business - something he knew well. Country music singer and sausage company founder Jimmy Dean passed away at his Henrico, Virginia home this weekend at the age of 81. Jimmy Dean. Dean is survived by his wife, three children and two grandchildren. Country music singer Jimmy Dean, who passed away on Sunday, will be buried in a $350,000 piano-shaped granite mausoleum. The obituary was featured in Legacy on June 14, 2010, and Legacy on June 18, 2010. He was due to be inducted officially in October. "It's the sweetest piece of property in the world, we think," he told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. She said he was eating in front of the television. "He was amazing," she said. Dean became a headliner at venues like Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl and became the first country star to play on the Las Vegas strip. Dean and Dean-Stevens bought the house in 1990, after looking at listings up and down the East Coast. His mother worked as a barber and sewed clothes for her children from sugar sacks. Dean’s star sign was Leo. DEAN, Jimmy Ray, 81, died suddenly, but peacefully, at his home on the James River in Varina, Va., on Sunday, June 13, 2010. At the time of his untimely death, James Dean did not leave behind a will, so most of his possessions went to his father, Winton Dean, whose relationship with him was distant at best. Born in 1928, Dean was raised in poverty in Plainview, Texas, and dropped out of high school after the ninth grade. Jimmy Dean was born on August 10, 1928, in an impoverished family suffering from the great depression. As an actor, Dean most notably appeared as a billionaire in the James Bond film Diamonds Are Forever. In her book "Dizzy and Jimmy", Liz Sheridan claims she and Dean were engaged. He owned a hog-butchering company that he sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. However, in the later part of the decade, Dean became more well known as a television personality, occasionally guest-hosting The Tonight Show and leading a second Jimmy Dean Show, where he developed a memorable rapport with the Muppets’ Rowlf the Dog (watch the video below). He went on to a successful entertainment career in the 1950s and '60s that included the nationally televised "The Jimmy Dean Show.". "I think it's the dumbest thing. James Dean dies in car accident At 5:45 PM on September 30, 1955, 24-year-old actor James Dean is killed in Cholame, California, when the Porsche he … Tootsies Orchid Lounge: Where the Music Began. Known for his unique way with words, Jimmy often said, “Sausage is a great deal like life. You get out of it what you put into it.” Four months ago, Dean, who had a number one hit "Big Bad John" in 1961, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor, and businessman. The Dean brothers - Jimmy and Don - ground the meat and their mother seasoned it. Disney CEO Expects Mask-Wearing at Theme Parks Throughout 2021. His family had butchered hogs, with the young Dean whacking them over the head with the blunt end of an ax. My husband died of natural causes, and funeral services are pending.". He took to the life of a professional singer after serving in the U.S. Air Force during the late 1940s. "He had a lot of talents.". According to a brief statement by Jimmy’s wife Donna, Dean died of natural causes Sunday night, June 13th. With his drawled wisecracks and quick wit, Dean charmed many fans. The star wrote it in less than two hours. "Jimmy was born in a small town in the panhandle of Texas, where there are … When a successful entertainment career wasn’t enough, he went on to create and build America’s favorite sausage company. Dean in February was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. "It sure is peaceful here. He suffered from a couple of health problems, but none that was supposedly severe enough to lead to his death.