Jimmy 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 he died before his induction that year at the age of 81.
Jimmy Dean Bio/Wiki
Birth Name | James Dean |
Nick Name | Jimmy Dean |
Age | 81 Years (At the time of death) |
Religion | Jimmy Dean was brought up in a Quaker household while living with his aunt and uncle in Fairmount. Additionally, his funeral service was held at a Quaker church house in Fairmount. |
Sun Sign/Zodiac Sign | Leo |
Birth Place | Plainview, TX |
Date of Birth | August 10, 1928 |
Died Age | Jun 13, 2010 ( age 81) |
Nationality | TX |
Residence | Not Known |
Home Town | Not Known |
Hobbies | Not Known |
Family |
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Mother's Name | Mildred Marie (née Wilson) (Died from uterine cancer in 1940) |
Father's Name | Winton Arlando Dean (Farmer, Dental Technician, World War II Veteran) |
Brother | Not Known |
Sister | Not Known |
Grandfathers, Uncles & more | Charles Desco Dean (Paternal Grandfather), Emma J. Woolen/Woollen (Paternal Grandmother), John William Wilson (Maternal Grandfather), Minnie Mae/Mary Slaughter (Maternal Grandmother), Ethel Case (Step-mother), Ortense Winslow (Paternal Aunt), Marcus Winslow (Uncle) (Husband of Ortense), Marcus Winslow Jr. (Cousin Brother) |
Girlfriends/Affairs |
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Affairs/Girlfriends | Not Known |
Marital Status, Wife and Children |
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Wife/Spouse | Not Known |
Marriage Date | Not Known |
Children | Not Known |
Education |
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School | Not Known |
College/University | Not Known |
Educational Qualification | Not Known |
Profession | Entrepreneur |
Brand Endorsements | Jimmy Dean had done endorsement work for the following brands – Pepsi-Cola (1950) Sexy Hair (2016) Jeep (Automobile brand) (2019) Allan Gray (South African investment company) |
Brands Endorsed | Not Known |
Career Manager | Not Known |
Height, Weight, and Figure Measurements |
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Height (Approx.) | 5 ft 7 in or 170 cm |
Weight (Approx.) | 63 kg or 139 lbs |
Figure Measurements |
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Chest Size | Not Known |
Hips Size | Not Known |
Waist Size | Not Known |
Extra Ordinary Features |
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Race / Ethnicity | White, Jimmy Dean had English, Scottish, Welsh, German, Irish, distant Dutch, and Native American ancestry. |
Hair Color | Light Brown |
Eye Color | Blue |
S*xual Orientation | Jimmy Dean’s sexual orientation had always been shrouded in mystery. He frequently got involved with men and women; sometimes in the pursuit of experimentation, while at other times to further his career. His close friends and biographers have labeled him as being gay, heterosexual, bisexual, and omnisexual. |
Dress Size | Not Known |
Distinctive Features | Squinty eyes, Chiseled jawline, Heavy smoker, His red jacket, white t-shirt, and blue denim jeans from Rebel Without a Cause |
Shoe Size | Not Known |
Favourite Things |
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Favourite Food | Not Known |
Favourite Actors | Not Known |
Favourite Colors | Not Known |
Favourite Sport | Not Known |
Controversies | Not Known |
Jimmy Dean Family, Education & More
Jimmy Dean was born in Plainview in Hale County in West Texas in 1928, the son of George Otto Dean, and his second wife, the former Ruth Taylor. Ruth taught Jimmy how to play the piano at a young age. He attributed his interest in music to the Seth Ward Baptist Church. He dropped out of high school and became a professional entertainer after serving in the United States Air Force in the late 1940s. Dean was 22 and just starting in show business when he married his first wife Mary Sue (Sue) in 1950.
Jimmy Dean studied at the Brentwood Public School in Los Angeles but soon, got enrolled at McKinley Elementary School in Santa Monica. After moving to Fairmount, he attended the Fairmount High School and graduated in 1949. He began taking classes in pre-law at the Santa Monica College after shifting to California to live with his father again. However, he transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for 1 semester and decided to major in Drama instead. Jimmy Dean pledged the Sigma Nu fraternity at UCLA but dropped out of college in 1951 before being initiated. He also learned method acting under the tutelage of Lee Strasberg at the historic Actors Studio in New York City.
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Jimmy Dean Net Worth
Jimmy Dean estimated Net Worth, Salary, Income, Cars, Lifestyles & many more details have been updated below. Let’s check, How Rich is Jimmy Dean in 2023?
According to Various Online resources, famous Entrepreneur, Jimmy Dean’s net worth is $50 Million before He died. He earned the money being a professional Entrepreneur. He is from TX.
Estimated Net Worth in 2010 (Approx) | $50 Million (At the time of death) |
Estimated Net Worth in 2009 (Approx) | Under Review |
Annual Salary | Under Review |
Income Source | Primary Income source Entrepreneur (profession) |
Jimmy Dean Girlfriends, Wife, and More
- Beverly Wills – Dean began dating Beverly Wills, an actress with CBS Studios while studying at UCLA. The couple split up after Dean physically threatened a guy at a party for asking his girlfriend to dance.
- Jeanette Lewis – Jeanette Lewis was Dean’s classmate at UCLA, whom he was also romancing.
- William Bast – William Bast and James met while studying at UCLA and soon became roommates and close friends. Bast, a journalist, and author, also became his first biographer in 1956. In his tell-all Surviving James Dean (2006), Bast described his relationship with the actor in more detail reveals that the two often engaged in s**ual activities.
- Barbara Glenn – James and Barbara Glenn dated for about 2 years while he was in college. The young couple regularly exchanged love letters, which ended up being sold at an auction for $36,000 in 2011.
- Rogers Brackett – The 20-year-old Dean met radio director Rogers Brackett, 15 years his senior, during his struggling days. Dean moved into his apartment in Los Angeles and was financially looked after by Brackett. He even paid for Dean’s acting classes in New York and introduced the budding actor to industry heavyweights leading to his first film break. Dean was speculated to be his kept boy who provided s**ual favors in exchange for support in launching his movie career.
- Elizabeth “Liz” Sheridan (1952) – Actress Liz Sheridan, best known for playing Jerry Seinfeld’s mother Helen on the sitcom Seinfeld, had reportedly dated James Dean in the past. According to her book, Dizzy & Jimmy: My Life with James Dean: A Love Story (2000), the two had a short-lived romance and were briefly engaged during his struggling days in New York City.
- Alice Denham (1952) – Dean was said to have hooked up with glamor model Alice Denham in 1952.
- Pier Angeli (1952-1953) – James first laid eyes on Italian actress Pier Angeli when she was shooting for The Silver Chalice (with co-star Paul Newman) on the adjacent Warner Bros. lot. The couple fell madly in love but Pier’s religious mother did not see James’s rebellious attitude and non-Catholic background as a fitting match for her daughter. Angeli eventually married singer Vic Damone and Italian composer Armando Trovajoli, however, both marriages ended in divorce. Before her death from a drug overdose in 1971, Angeli had reportedly admitted that Dean was the only true love of her life.
- Betsy Palmer (1953) – James dated actress Betsy Palmer when the two actors worked together on the TV series Studio One in Hollywood in 1953.
- Terry Moore (1954) – In 1954, Dean had a fling with actress Terry Moore, famous for starring in Come Back, Little Sheba (1952).
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- Marilyn Monroe – RUMOR
- Mitzi McCall (1955) – Actress Mitzi McCall and James got involved with each other in 1955.
- Sal Mineo (1955) – Sal Mineo starred as John “Plato” Crawford opposite James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause. Years later, Sal aroused speculation that they were lovers by stating that Jimmy was special to him.
- Paul Newman – RUMOR
- Marlon Brando – James was known to follow every move of his idol Marlon Brando, which irked The Godfather star no end. But, things got weird when reports speculated that the two were also lovers and had a torrid affair for years.
- Rock Hudson (1955) – Actor Rock Hudson was allegedly one of Dean’s se**al conquests. According to reports, Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson (his co-stars from Giant) both had a bet on who could get Dean to sleep with them first. Hudson apparently won the bet. Hudson was known to be gay amongst his close friends in Hollywood but the larger public only found out about his s*@uality after his death from AIDS in 1985.
- Ursula Andress (1955) – Towards the last months of his life, James was in a relationship with Swiss actress Ursula Andress. The two were spotted riding around Hollywood on his motorbike and Ursula accompanied James when he purchased his fatal Porsche 550 Spyder. Years later, Ursula became famous for playing Bond girl Honey Ryder in Dr. No (1962).
Facts About Jimmy
- Jimmy Dean has died on Jun 13, 2010 ( age 81).
- Birthday August 10, 1928.
- Birth Sign Leo.
- He gave puppeteer Jim Henson his first national media exposure on The Jimmy Dean Show. He was inducted posthumously into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010.
FAQ’s
How Much Was Jimmy Dean’s Net Worth When He Died?
Jimmy Dean Has A Net Worth Of $50 Million At The Time Of His Death.
Who Owns Jimmy Dean Sausage Now?
Jimmy Dean Foods Is A Food Company That Was Founded In 1969 By Country Singer And Actor Jimmy Dean. It Was Purchased By Sara Lee, Which Then Divested As Part Of A Unit Known As Hillshire Brands, Which Was Later Purchased By Tyson Foods.
What Happened Jimmy Dean?
Dean Died At The Age Of 81, On June 13, 2010, At His Home In Varina, Virginia. He Was Survived By His Second Wife Donna. She told The Associated Press That Her Husband Had Some Health Problems But Was Still Functioning Well, So His Death Came As A Shock.
Where Is Jimmy Dean Buried?
Jimmy Dean To Be Interred In Piano-shaped Mausoleum. Country Legend Jimmy Dean, Who Died Sunday At Age 81, Will Be Laid To Rest In A $350,000 Piano-shaped Granite Mausoleum That He Purchased Several Years Ago. The 9½-foot Long Tomb Is Located Near The Banks Of The James River On His Property In Varina, Va.
Is Billy Dean Related To Jimmy Dean?
Billy Dean Shares A Name With Another Famous Dean Who Made A Name In Country Music. Beyond That, There’s No Family Connection. “That Shows That You Can’t Trust Wikipedia,” Billy Dean Said About His Supposed Relationship To Jimmy Dean, Country Superstar And Founder Of Jimmy Dean Sausage Co. “I Knew Jimmy.