Dixie Lee
- For the franchised restaurant chain, see Dixie Lee Fried Chicken.
| Dixie Lee | |
|---|---|
 Lee in 1935 | |
| Born |
Wilma Winifred Wyatt November 4, 1911 Harriman, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died |
November 1, 1952 (aged 40) Los Angeles, California |
| Cause of death | Ovarian cancer |
| Resting place |
Holy Cross Cemetery Culver City, California |
| Years active | 1929–52 |
| Spouse(s) |
Bing Crosby (m. 1930–1952, her death) |
| Children | 4 sons |
Dixie Lee (November 4, 1911 – November 1, 1952) was an American actress, dancer, and singer. She was the first wife of singer Bing Crosby.
Biography
Born Wilma Winifred Wyatt, she adopted the professional name "Dixie Carroll" as a singer and showgirl. Winfield Sheehan of the Fox film studio changed the name to Dixie Lee, to avoid confusion with actresses Nancy Carroll and Sue Carol. She married Bing Crosby at the age of 18, and had four sons with him, two of whom, Lindsay and Dennis, committed suicide as adults.
Crosby's biographer, Gary Giddins, describes Dixie Lee as a shy, private person with a sensible approach to life. Giddins recounts that Dixie and Bing, as young marrieds, were often invited to parties where liquor was plentiful, and Dixie drank socially to keep up with Bing. She succeeded in curbing Bing's alcohol consumption, but ironically her own alcoholism worsened. She had a brief film career, starring in a few features for Bing's home studio Paramount Pictures in the 1930s; her most notable film is probably Love in Bloom (1935).[1][2]
She died from ovarian cancer on November 1, 1952, three days before her 41st birthday,[3] and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
Selected filmography
- Harmony at Home (1930)
- Redheads on Parade (1935)
In popular culture
- The 1947 film Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman is loosely based on Dixie Lee's life.[4]
References
- ↑ Malcolm Macfarlane Bing Crosby: day by day - 2001 Page 148 "... they were rewarded with a million-dollar impromptu show, when Bing Crosby sang "Dinah" and "I Kiss Your Hand, Madame," Dixie Lee sang "Lucky Star "."
- ↑ Jim Heimann Out with the stars: Hollywood nightlife in the golden era -1985 Page 141 "Bing Crosby and wife Dixie Lee treated an audience at the Century Club on Beverly Boulevard one Sunday night, when Bing took the stage and belted out "Dinah" and "I Kiss Your Lucky Hand, Madame," and Dixie sang "Lucky Star" to a crowd ..."
- ↑ "Cancer kills Dixie Crosby". Sunday Herald. (Bridgeport, Connecticut). United Press. November 2, 1952. p. 1.
- ↑ "Forgotten Ones: Dixie Lee Crosby"