Secluded setting impeded firefighters at Jimmy Dean home (Richmond, VA)

Richmond Times-Dispatch ^ | April 21, 2009 | Bill McKelway

[deks]

From its half-mile-long driveway to its stunning, panoramic view high above a broad section of the James River, country-music legend Jimmy Dean’s Chaffin’s Bluff home has a lot to offer. But both amenities proved a nightmare for dozens of Henrico County firefighters who worked well into this morning to extinguish a fire that destroyed or severely damaged as much as 75 percent of Dean’s Varina-area home off Osborne Turnpike. Dean and his wife escaped the home unharmed, authorities said.

. . .

Buehren said the construction of the home made the fire difficult to contain. Its “balloon” construction system creates unobstructed pathways that allowed flames to travel upward through wall studs. There also were many inaccessible areas, or void spaces, created by overlapping roof lines and architectural features.

. . .

He is best-known for “Big Bad John,” a 1961 narrative, Grammy-winning song about a coal miner who saves fellow workers when the mine roof collapses. He founded a sausage company in 1969 that he sold to Sara Lee Corp. in 1984.

[deks]

Jimmy and Donna Meade Dean at the piano of their Varina home, which was heavily damaged by fire overnight. Dean and his wife escaped the home unharmed, authorities said.

[KoRn]

He has the best sausage! :p

[Empireoftheatom48]

Where was Paula?

[Star Traveler]

Big John, Big John
Jimmy Dean

Ev’ry mornin’ at the mine you could see him arrive
He stood six foot six and weighed two forty five
Kinda broad at the shoulder and narrow at the hip
And everybody knew ya didn’t give no lip to Big John.
(Big John, Big John) Big Bad John (Big John)

Nobody seemed to know where John called home
He just drifted into town and stayed all alone
He didn’t say much, kinda quiet and shy
And if you spoke at all, you just said “Hi” to Big John.

Somebody said he came from New Orleans
Where he got in a fight over a Cajun Queen
And a crashin’ blow from a huge right hand
Sent a Loosiana fellow to the Promised Land-Big John
(Big John, Big John) Big Bad John (Big John)

Then came the day at the bottom of the mine
When a timber cracked and men started cryin’
Miners were prayin’ and hearts beat fast
And everybody thought that they’d breathed their last-’cept John

Through the dust and the smoke of this man-made hell
Walked a giant of a man that the miners knew well
Grabbed a saggin’ timber, gave out with a groan
And like a giant oak tree he just stood there alone-Big John
(Big John, Big John) Big Bad John (Big John)

And with all of his strength he gave a mighty shove
Then a miner yelled out “There’s a light up above!”
And twenty men scrambled from a would-be grave
Now there’s only one left down there to save-Big John

With jacks and timbers they started back down
Then came that rumble way down in the ground
And then smoke and gas belched out of that mine
Everybody knew it was the end of the line for Big John
(Big John, Big John) Big Bad John (Big John)

Now they never reopened that worthless pit
They just placed a marble stand in front of it
These few words are written on that stand
At the bottom of this mine lies a hell of man, Big John
(Big John, Big John) Big Bad John (Big John)

[Domangart]

He is one of five corporations that produce most of the food in the civilized part of the world. Sooner or later you will grow tired of all the grease from Sara Lee.

[deks]

Here’s the song with a lot of photographs of miners and mining towns.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9vuVl0ebpM&feature=related

[Star Traveler]

Cool..., I’ll bookmark it... thanks.

[Mariner]

I'm glad they're OK.

His sausage is FAR more impressive than his music.

[Jeff Chandler]

Big Bad Bruce

Stan Greenburg

SPOKEN: The folk history of America is the history of its heroes. Big workin' men like John Henry, Paul Bunyan snd Big Bad John. But today I'd like to introduce a new folk hero. He didn't work in a mine, or in a railroad, or any of those strenuous occupations. He worked in a beauty salon and his name was Bruce.........

Well ev'ry day at the salon you can see him arrive He stood six foot six, weighed one-o-five He's kinda narrow at the shoulders, narrow in the hips With a curl in his hair and a smile on his lips Big Bruce...........Big Bad Bruce

No-one seemed to know where Bruce came from He kinda swished into town and stayed all alone Never said much, kind o' quiet and shy And when he spoke at all, it was just to say "Hi" Big Bruce...........Big Bad Bruce

Same say he came from New Orleans Where he had a social group called the Cajun Queens Some say Hollywood or Beverly Hills Where he got arrested for passin' three-dollar bills That's Bruce

Then came the day o' that terrible fire Something went wrong in the number five dryer Into the chaos of those matronly caves Went Big Bad Bruce, a-just a-fannin' the flames Big Bruce...........Big Bad Brucey-Woosey

Well, the flames grew higher and the fire got worse And someone heard Brucey cry, "Mercy, I forgot my purse!" Into the fire with a squeal and a shout We waited an hour, but he never came out Poor Bruce..........Poor old Bruce

Where that salon once stood is a grocery store But his name will live for evermore In the annals of time and in the hall of fame As a gay young cat who went down in flames Big Bruce

You might say this is a big kind o' fairy tale

[Jeff Chandler]

With formatting:

Stan Greenburg

SPOKEN: The folk history of America is the history of its heroes. Big workin’ men like John Henry, Paul Bunyan and Big Bad John. But today I’d like to introduce a new folk hero. He didn’t work in a mine, or in a railroad, or any of those strenuous occupations. He worked in a beauty salon and his name was Bruce.........

Well ev’ry day at the salon you can see him arrive
He stood six foot six, weighed one-o-five
He’s kinda narrow at the shoulders, narrow in the hips
With a curl in his hair and a smile on his lips
Big Bruce...........Big Bad Bruce

No-one seemed to know where Bruce came from
He kinda swished into town and stayed all alone
Never said much, kind o’ quiet and shy
And when he spoke at all, it was just to say “Hi”
Big Bruce...........Big Bad Bruce

Same say he came from New Orleans
Where he had a social group called the Cajun Queens
Some say Hollywood or Beverly Hills
Where he got arrested for passin’ three-dollar bills
That’s Bruce

Then came the day o’ that terrible fire
Something went wrong in the number five dryer
Into the chaos of those matronly caves
Went Big Bad Bruce, a-just a-fannin’ the flames
Big Bruce...........Big Bad Brucey-Woosey

Well, the flames grew higher and the fire got worse
And someone heard Brucey cry, “Mercy, I forgot my purse!”
Into the fire with a squeal and a shout
We waited an hour, but he never came out
Poor Bruce..........Poor old Bruce

Where that salon once stood is a grocery store
But his name will live for evermore
In the annals of time and in the hall of fame
As a gay young cat who went down in flames
Big Bruce

You might say this has been kind of a fairy tale

[Star Traveler]

Thanks... :-)