Miss Dixie

I read this morning that Miss Dixie had passed.

I had the honor and pleasure of meeting and driving Miss Carter a little over a year ago. She was in town for the Austin Film Festival to attend her latest, and as it turned out, her last film, starring with her husband Mr. Holbrook.

I met her at the bottom of the escalator with a discrete sign saying “DC”. I saw her immediately and she waved; a small woman in slightly baggy clothes – her traveling clothes she told me later – and said she hoped the sign was for her. I told her that of course I recognized her, and I did. She was 69 and still beautiful. We got in the car and headed into town and she told me she didn’t feel well. Too much traveling and she hated to fly, but she loved to sing so she had to travel. She asked about me and I told her some and we talked politics and show business and how they all tied together and how she really did get her head stuck in that staircase scene. (The set carpenter had to cut her out) She had opinions about our new young President and it was no secret that she was a conservative. But I’ll leave that to others. She told stories and I listened and laughed. She asked for my number and I gave her my card; she called Mr. Holbrook and told him to look for me when he arrived the next morning. And he did. But this story is about Dixie.

The next evening they went to the movie and the following morning I picked her up at her hotel. But this time I took the black stretch limo. When she came out of the hotel, the transformation was complete – dressed to the nines she looked years younger and when she saw the stretch she said, “For me????” I took her bag and said “Hey, all the big stars get the limo.” She laughed and thanked me and got in. But then she moved up to the front of that long car, right behind me so we could continue to talk. And talk we did all the way to the airport. It was a good day.

I wish the best to Mr. Holbrook and her family. She will be missed.