Jimmy Dean (b. Jimmy Ray Dean August 10, 1928, in Plainview, Texas) is an American country music singer, television host, actor, and businessman. Although he may be best known today as the founder of the Jimmy Dean Food Company, he first rose to fame for his country crossover hits like "Big Bad John," and for his television appearances.

Dean may have been born and lived in the small unincorporated community of Seth Ward just northeast of Plainview. Dean was to attribute his music interest to the Seth Ward Baptist Church. The Seth Ward name has prompted some biographies to erroneously say that his birth name was Seth Ward.

Jimmy Dean became a professional entertainer after a stint in the U.S. Air Force in the late 1940s. He became the host of the popular Washington D.C. TV program Town and Country Time and, with his Texas Wildcats, became favorites in the region. Both Patsy Cline and Roy Clark got their starts with Dean, who eventually fired Clark, his lead guitarist, for his chronic tardiness. Dean replaced Clark with Billy Grammer. Patsy Cline and Dean were good friends during the run of the Town Country Time TV show in the mid-50s. He had his first hit, "Bummin' Around," in 1953, but had no other hits for the rest of the decade. He also had a passion for the Mexican burrito, which he called "delectable enough for my auntie Geraldine."