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 owns the brand now, fills supermarket shelves with a variety of products that proudly display Jimmy’s 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 pigs. But Plainview was Jimmy’s hometown, where he grew up poor but enjoyed the blessings of a loving family. The brothers began raising pigs, producing sausages, and marketing the produce, 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 what was left over from the pork after cutting up the hams and bacon. At Christmas my dad would slaughter one of our older pigs and grind the whole carcass into sausage. Those were our Christmas gifts to friends and family. Everyone who had the privilege of receiving 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 business, he put everything but the squeal into his production. With his sausage he made Christmas available all year long.

With a schedule filled with singing and acting, weekends were the only times he could work building the sausage 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 he 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 pointed to Lubbock and would then drive to Plainview. I still treasure those hours I spent at the Continental Club during layovers. Jimmy was as friendly and funny 24 hours a day as he was entertaining. In fact, he entertained 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 upon millions of Americans continue to enjoy their specialty sausage and “Big Bad John.” I have no doubt Jimmy has them singing and laughing on his new stage.