Tommy Dix

Tommy Dix, born Thomas Paine Navard on December 6, 1923, in New York, New York, was an American baritone singer and actor whose career spanned stage, film, and club performance. He lived to the age of 101, dying in his sleep on January 15, 2025, in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Dix began performing at age 11 in 1935 and enrolled at the Juilliard School at age 15. His Broadway career ran from 1940 to 1941 and included two productions: the drama The Corn Is Green and the musical Best Foot Forward. In the latter, he played the role of Chuck Green. The Corn Is Green ran on Broadway from 1941 to 1942.

Beyond the stage, Dix took on the male lead in the musical film adaptation of Best Foot Forward, portraying the young cadet Bud Hooper opposite Lucille Ball. He also performed regularly at venues including the Stage Door Canteen. During World War II, he served in the United States Army.

In the late 1940s, Dix chose to leave show business and enrolled at the University of Alabama, where he majored in architectural engineering. He subsequently built a career in real estate and construction. While in Alabama, he married Margaret Ann Grayson; the two later divorced. Dix turned 100 in December 2023, marking the milestone before his death the following year.