## The Television Pioneer
Before he became synonymous with breakfast food, Jimmy Dean was a massive star in the entertainment industry. In 1961, he released ‘Big Bad John,’ a spoken-word country song about a heroic miner that became a staggering crossover global smash hit. This led to his own hugely successful national television variety show, where he famously introduced the world to a young puppeteer named Jim Henson and his Muppets.
## A Frustration Leads to Fortune
In the late 1960s, while having breakfast at a diner, Dean became violently frustrated when he bit into a piece of sausage that broke his tooth on a piece of gristle. Believing he could create a vastly superior product, the brilliant, fiercely ambitious country star launched the Jimmy Dean Sausage Company in 1969.
## The Greatest Pivot in History
Using his famous face, folksy charm, and massive marketing instinct, Dean personally starred in the commercials, creating an absolute sensation. His sausage company became incredibly successful, eventually selling to Sara Lee for an astronomical sum. Jimmy Dean remains the most unique example in history of a country music superstar successfully parlaying a hit record into a multi-billion dollar culinary empire.