The king of the whole pork sausage is gone
Country Music Hall of Fame artist Jimmy Dean dies. Widely known for writing and recording “Big Bad John” in the 1960s, he also enjoyed notoriety for his Jimmy Dean sausage. Sara Lee, who now owns the brand, fills supermarket shelves with a variety of products that proudly display the Jimmy name.
He and his brother Don started the sausage company in 1969 based in Plainview, Texas. Texas is a state generally known for cowboys and cattle, not hogs. But Plainview was Jimmy’s hometown, where he grew up poor but enjoyed the blessings of a loving family. The brothers began to raise pigs, produce sausages and market the production taking advantage of Jimmy’s popularity.
My education was in the same area as Plainview. In a family like the Deans, we were not blessed with bushels of money, but rich in many other ways. The sausage was made from the leftover pork after cutting up the hams and bacon. At Christmas my dad would slaughter one of our older pigs and grind up the whole carcass into sausage. Those were our Christmas gifts for friends and family. Everyone who was privileged to receive a package always said that our Christmas sausage was the best they had ever eaten.
Jimmy Dean was the best, even in the sausage business. From day one in the business, he put everything but the shriek into producing it. With his sausage he made Christmas available all year round.
With a schedule filled with singing and acting, weekends were the only times he could work on building the hot dog business. It was then that our paths crossed. The president of Continental Airlines had opened a President’s Club at major airports, including Love Field. All the guests were invited by his invitation, and I was lucky to be a member. Jimmy Dean was also a member. On Friday afternoons, when 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 signaled to Lubbock and then would drive to Plainview. I still treasure those hours I spent at the Continental Club during layovers. Jimmy was so friendly and funny 24 hours a day as well as entertaining. In fact, he was entertaining all the time. It wasn’t work for him. He wasn’t entertaining, he was just enjoying life.
They would tell the audience at Presley’s 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 all the pig king will not be forgotten. Millions and millions of Americans continue to enjoy their special sausage and “Big Bad John.” I have no doubt that Jimmy has them singing and laughing on his new stage.