Tommy Dix
Tommy Dix | |
|---|---|
| Born | Thomas Paine Navard [1] December 6, 1923 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | January 15, 2025 (aged 101) Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, actor |
Tommy Dix (born Thomas Paine Navard; December 6, 1923 – January 15, 2025) was an American baritone singer and actor. He started performing at the age of 11 in 1935.[2] He attended Juilliard School at the age of 15.[3]
Career
[edit]Dix appeared in the Broadway play The Corn Is Green, which ran from 1941 to 1942.[4] He had the male lead in the musical film, Best Foot Forward, where he played the young cadet, Bud Hooper, opposite Lucille Ball.[5] He had previously played Chuck Green in the 1941 Broadway musical of the same name.[6] He sang regularly at various clubs, including the Stage Door Canteen.[7] He decided to retire from show business in the late 1940s to attend the University of Alabama, majoring in architectural engineering. He later worked in real estate and construction.[2]
Personal life and death
[edit]Dix was married to Margaret Ann Grayson in Alabama. They later divorced. He served in the Army during World War II.[8]
Dix turned 100 in December 2023, and died in his sleep in Williamsburg, Virginia, on January 15, 2025, at the age of 101.[9] [1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Barnes, Mike (February 23, 2025). "Tommy Dix, 'Best Foot Forward' Actor and Singer, Dies at 101". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
- ^ a b "He 'retired' from show biz fame at 24". Sunday News. June 27, 1975. p. 128. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ "Tommy Dix, 'Winsocki' Man, Is Happy In New Career". Fort Lauderdale News. June 30, 1943. p. 40. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ Williams, Emlyn (1941) [1938]. The Corn Is Green. New York: Random House. OCLC 699598.
- ^ "'Best Foot Forward' Snappy Musical Film". Daily News. June 30, 1943. p. 40. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ "'New musical and mystery hit Broadway". Sunday News. October 5, 1941. p. 16f. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ "AMERICAN THEATRE WING". Billboard. Vol. 56, no. 6. February 5, 1944. p. 5.
- ^ "Tommy Dix to sing in star studded cotton show here". The Birmingham News. March 26, 1951. p. 6. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
- ^ "Tommy Dix". Bucktrout of Williamsburg. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
