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mahatmakanejeeves

(57,489 posts)
Mon Aug 10, 2020, 05:39 PM Aug 2020

On this day, August 10, 1928, Jimmy Dean was born.

Last edited Mon Aug 10, 2020, 06:27 PM - Edit history (3)

Hat tip, This Day in Rock

Jimmy Dean


Dean in 1966.

Birth name: Jimmy Ray Dean; Born: August 10, 1928; Olton, Texas
Died: June 13, 2010 (aged 81); Varina, Virginia

Jimmy Ray Dean (August 10, 1928 – June 13, 2010) was an American country music singer, television host, actor, and businessman. He was the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand as well as the spokesman for its TV commercials.

He became a national television personality starting on CBS in 1957. He rose to fame for his 1961 country music crossover hit into rock and roll with "Big Bad John" and his 1963 television series The Jimmy Dean Show, which gave puppeteer Jim Henson his first national media exposure.

His acting career included appearing in the early seasons in the Daniel Boone TV series as the sidekick of the famous frontiersman played by star Fess Parker. Later he was on the big screen in a supporting role as billionaire Willard Whyte in the James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

He lived near Richmond, Virginia, and was nominated for the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010, though died before his induction that year at the age of 81.

{snip}

Entertainment career

Dean had his first hit, "Bumming Around," in 1953 on the 4 Star label (written by Pete Graves, credited to "C. Graves" on the Quality label). Dean signed with Columbia Records in 1957.

He had minor pop hits, such as "Little Sandy Sleighfoot" (a Christmas novelty song) and "Sing Along," later used as the theme for TV's Sing Along with Mitch, hosted by chorus leader Mitch Miller.

In 1954, Dean hosted the popular Washington, D.C. radio program Town and Country Time on WARL-AM, and with his Texas Wildcats became popular in the Mid-Atlantic region. Patsy Cline and Roy Clark got their starts on the show. Although Cline and Dean became good friends, Clark (Dean's lead guitarist) was fired by the singer for what was explained as his chronic tardiness. Dean replaced Clark with Billy Grammer. In 1955, Town and Country Time moved to WMAL-TV (now WJLA-TV) on weekday afternoons. Dean and the Texas Wildcats also appeared during 1957 on Town and Country Jamboree on WMAL-TV on Saturdays, which was also carried by TV stations in neighboring Maryland and Virginia on a regional network.

Also during 1957 while he lived in Arlington, Virginia, Dean hosted Country Style on WTOP-TV (now WUSA-TV). CBS picked up the show nationally from Washington for eight months in 1957 under the name The Morning Show. Then from September 14, 1958, to June 1959, CBS carried The Jimmy Dean Show on weekday and Saturday afternoons.

{snip}

Wikipedia doesn't have a wiki for Town and Country Time. I might have to write it. Until then, here's more about that show:

DC Memories -- Jimmy Dean

Connie B. Gay, the hillbilly impressario, has every right to be gay. He just completed a deal to produce 52 half-hour films of his radio show, "Town and Country Music."

{snip}



(l. to r.) Buck Ryan, Mary Klick, Jimmy Dean, Dale Turner, Marvin Carroll, Alex Houston w/Elmer, Roy Clark, Scotty Irwin. Herbie Jones.



"Town and Country Time" Weekday Series from WMAL-TV Studios at the Chevy Chase Ice Palace, Washington, DC
(l. to r.) Fiddlin' Buck Ryan, Roy Clark, Jimmy Dean, Herbie Jones, Marvin Carroll

{snip}



"Town and Country Time" Weekday Series from WMAL-TV Studios at the Chevy Chase Ice Palace, Washington, DC
(l. to r.) Fiddlin' Buck Ryan, Marvin Carroll, Jimmy Dean, Herbie Jones, Roy Clark, Mary Klick

{snip}



This meeting took place on the evening of March 23, 1956, prior to Elvis' 8:00 pm performance on the SS Mt. Vernon ship.

{snip}

Connie B. Gay's birthday is coming up in less than two weeks. I hope I can remember to put something together for that.



Jimmy Dean -Town & Country Time (1954)

Mr. DC Memories
185 subscribers

(Courtesy: Kinevideo.Net) A fine example of the late Jimmy Dean's (b. 1928 - d. 2010) first TV series, produced by "hillbilly music" impresario Connie B. Gay at Byron Roudabush's Georgetown DC studios in 1954. Filmed in color, the show was distributed on black and white 16mm prints through Official Films.

In January 1955, a live five-days-a-week "Town and Country Time" series debuted from the studios of Channel-7, WMAL-TV, in Washington, DC, to be followed by a three-hour live weekly "Town and Country Jamboree" in October of 1955 from Turner Arena (aka Capitol Arena) 14th and W Sts, NW in DC.

Also shown here among the crew are Marvin Carroll and Herb Jones along with Mary Klick, Fiddlin' Buck Ryan. and comic relief by Quincy Snodgrass.

The full half-hour kinescope can be purchased on DVD from the Kinevideo.Net website along with a few additional surviving shows..



Jimmy Dean - Town and Country Time
1,647 views•Nov 11, 2013

GatorRock
84.1K subscribers

an early syndicated version of Jimmy's show originating from Washington, DC



Jimmy Dean Show - Country Classics - PBS
8,360 views•May 9, 2018

FanZowy
1.08K subscribers

The Jimmy Dean Show Country Classics special was hosted by country legend Roy Clark. Join Roy Clark as he looks back on the Jimmy Dean Show and all of the classic and legendary performers that graced Jimmy's stage Including Buck Owens, George Jones, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Roger Miller, Eddie Arnold and many more!

This is mostly showing off Chet Atkins, but there's nothing wrong with that.



Chet Atkins on The Jimmy Dean Show (3 tracks)
109,272 views•Aug 28, 2017

When The Cowboy Sings
190K subscribers

Chet Atkins live The Jimmy Dean Show
When The Cowboy Sings facebook
https://www.facebook.com/WesternSwing2000/ {page not found}
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On this day, August 10, 1928, Jimmy Dean was born. (Original Post) mahatmakanejeeves Aug 2020 OP
I got really confused when they started running his appearances in his sausage commercials again hlthe2b Aug 2020 #1

hlthe2b

(102,292 posts)
1. I got really confused when they started running his appearances in his sausage commercials again
Mon Aug 10, 2020, 05:42 PM
Aug 2020

as I thought he'd been dead for years, but yes indeed he passed on in 2010. RIP

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