He became the host of the popular Washington D.C. TV program Town and Country Time and, with his Texas Wildcats, became regional favorites. Both Patsy Cline and Roy Clark got their starts with Dean, who eventually fired Clark, his lead guitarist, for chronic tardiness. Patsy Cline and Dean were good friends during the run of the TV run of Town and Country Time in the mid-50s. He had his first hit, "Bummin' Around," in 1953 on the 4-Star label, which went Top 5, Country.
By 1958 he was recording for Columbia for whom he had a Pop (non-Country) hit with "Little Sandy Sleightfoot", a Christmas novelty number. Dean moved to New York in the 1950s where he hosted another TV variety show for CBS. He became best known internationally for his 1961 song "Big Bad John," recorded in Nashville, that went to No.1 on the Billboard charts and was a pop hit in the UK.. The song won Dean the 1962 Grammy for Best Country & Western Recording. He had several more Top 40 songs including a Top 10 in 1962 with "PT-109", a song in honor of PT-109 and John F. Kennedy. He followed that up with "Dear Ivan" which he wrote. It hit #9 Country and was also a Top 20 crossover success.
In 1959, he'd become the regular host of the CBS morning program. In the early 1960s he also hosted the Tonight Show on occasion and one night introduced Roy Clark, with whom he'd remained friendly, to a wider audience, helping advance Clark's career. In 1962 Dean also had a double sided hit with the recitation "To A Sleeping Beauty" coupled with "The Cajun Queen", harking back to "Big Bad John".
His mid-1960s ABC TV variety show was one of the first to present country artists with some dignity and class. Roger Miller, George Jones, Charlie Rich, Buck Owens and some like Joe Maphis, who seldom got any network TV exposure. He's also best remembered for his regular sketches with one of Jim Henson's long running muppets, Rowlf the Dog. Many guests, not remotely related to country music appeared on the show, as it was considered a solid entertainment program, and it offered the priceless "exposure" that is the food and drink to performers.
When the show ended, he began to dabble in acting in the late 1960s, with his best-known role being that of millionaire Willard Whyte in the 1971 James Bond movie, Diamonds Are Forever. He also performed around the country. He was mentioned in the Madonna song "Vogue" and in the 2006 Def Leppard song "Rock On".
Jimmy Dean passed away on Sunday June 13th 2010 at home on the banks of the James River near Richmond, Virginia following a lengthy illness which had left him wheelchair bound. He was 81 years old. He is survived by his widow, Donna, and two granddaughters, Caroline and Brianna.
shenandoah
Jimmy Dean Lyrics
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Shenandoah I long to see you away I'm bound to way across the wide Missouri
Oh Shenandoah I love your daughter away you rolling river
Shenandoah I'll cross your waters away I'm bound to way across the wide Missouri
Cross the wide Missouri
(Oh Shenandoah I'm gonna leave you away you rolling river
Oh Shenandoah I long to see you away I'm bound to way across the wide Missouri
Farewell my love I'm gonna leave you away you rolling river
Shenandoah I not deceive you away I'm bound to way across the wide Missouri
Cross the wide Missouri
The lyrics of Jimmy Dean's Shenandoah express a deep desire to see the Shenandoah River, which flows through the states of Virginia and West Virginia. The river's beauty is noted by the singer's reaffirmation of their love for its "daughter." However, the singer must leave, as they are "bound to way across the wide Missouri," a statement that is repeated throughout the song. The repetition of this line emphasizes the singer's commitment to their journey, despite the heartache it may bring. The farewell to the river and the singer's love is expressed in the final verse, with the singer assuring that they will not deceive Shenandoah and that they are leaving for good.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Shenandoah I long to see you away you rolling river
I miss you, Shenandoah, and yearn to see you once again, beautiful river that flows tirelessly.
Shenandoah I long to see you away I'm bound to way across the wide Missouri
I am destined to travel across the vast Missouri, but I am homesick for you, Shenandoah, and wish to see you again.
Oh Shenandoah I love your daughter away you rolling river
Shenandoah, I also love your daughter, another lovely river that flows tirelessly beside you.
Shenandoah I'll cross your waters away I'm bound to way across the wide Missouri
Although I must travel across the wide Missouri, I vow to cross your waters once again, Shenandoah.
Cross the wide Missouri
My journey requires crossing the vast Missouri River.
Farewell my love I'm gonna leave you away you rolling river
I must bid you farewell, my beloved Shenandoah, as I depart and leave you behind, beautiful river that flows tirelessly.
Shenandoah I not deceive you away I'm bound to way across the wide Missouri
I promise you, Shenandoah, that I will not deceive you as I journey across the wide Missouri.
Cross the wide Missouri
Once again, I must cross the vast Missouri River on my journey.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: D HOLMBERG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind