I grew up with Jimmy’s musical storytelling: Big John, PT-109, and more. His television variety show was number one nationwide, the Vegas performances drew huge crowds, and, of course, we all remember the Sausage King with his charming, down-home ads.
I met him at his ranch in Richmond, Virginia on Chaffin's Bluff overlooking the James River. I was privileged to spend three memorable days there with Jimmy and Donna as I enjoyed his singing, stories, and hospitality. Jimmy was a giant of a man, a celebrity of historic proportions, and here was little me sharing a bedroom adjacent to theirs! This visit generated four paintings: one for his wife, Donna, another for Sarah Lee Foods’ boardroom, a third for the Jimmy Dean Memorial at Wayland Baptist University in Texas, and the fourth, which hangs opposite the easel in my studio.
This candid portrait is unlike most of my paintings because it is spontaneous. I sat at his breakfast counter cleaning and readying my large Hasselblad camera for a day of shooting. Jimmy had just left his bedroom wearing an Indian bathrobe, a gift from his wife. His hair was mussed, and as he sat on the opposite side of the counter, he told me, "Don't point that thing at me.” As he turned to Donna and heard a kerplunk, he asked, “You didn't take that, did you?" I confessed that I had. When I submitted the selected photos to them for their approval, I included this one, along with a note stating that one day I would like to paint this image.
It was thirteen years before I found an opening in my schedule. Jimmy’s portrait was the first painting I did for myself after this very long string of commissioned work. Once it was completed, I sent an 8 x 10 photo of it to Jimmy and Donna. He called me immediately after receiving it, said he really liked it, and wanted to know how much I was asking. This surprised me because I was only seeking his permission to include it on my website. Although he was wealthy, Jimmy was also extremely frugal. After hearing the price, he said, "Then you can keep it!” which had been my desire all along. I was very happy to do just that!
That evening I mentioned to my students that since Jimmy liked the painting, I was expecting his wife would want to surprise him with it for Christmas. True to my prediction, Donna called me a few weeks later and said she would cash in her gold coins to purchase the painting. Out of love for them both, I proceeded to make the shipping crate, and the portrait was on its way that very day, with Donna’s check arriving the next day. Clearly, this portrait was worth more to her than gold! Jimmy called me the day after Christmas and declared, "This is the best Christmas gift I ever received!”
