RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) -- The now-finished statue to Jimmy Dean is a little larger than life, and the Grammy-winning sausage king who lived in Varina was already plenty large.
Six-feet-four with cowboy boots, hat and many millions in the bank, he was known for his music, his radio and TV shows, guest hosting “The Tonight Show” and for giving many artists a chance, including Jim Henson and an early Muppet, Rowlf the Dog.
Richmond artist Paul DiPasquale already had a big name for himself, sculpting the Arthur Ashe monument on Monument Avenue, Neptune in Virginia Beach, the Diamond’s old Connecticut sculpture, now atop Tobacco Row, Oliver Hill at the Convention Center, The Boatman on Brown’s Island, among others.
He invited me in to have a sneak peek of his statue to Jimmy Dean, which will be unveiled May 11, Mother’s Day, at 1 p.m. at the Richmond Marriott, followed by the Jimmy Dean Music Festival featuring a host of stars, including Dean’s widow, country music superstar Donna Meade.
Proceeds will benefit the Henricus Historical Park in Chester.
The statue's eventual home will be Dean's birth town, Plainview, Texas.
So come along and have a peek, just click on the video...
