Dixie Carter, You Will be Missed

One of my favorite shows to watch is Designing Women starring Dixie Carter who passed away this weekend at the age of 70. Her portrayal of interior designer Julia Sugarbaker was powerful and empowering at the same time and is probably her most memorable television role. She portrayed a genteel old-south southern woman, not in a fiddle-dee-dee Scarlet O'Hara sort of way, but in a "pump you up and then dress you down before you knew what hit you" sort of way. This video is one of Julia's most popular rants, and features her husband Hal Holbrook. Despite her liberal ramblings on the show, she was a Republican and made the producers promise that for every liberal rant on the show she would be allowed to sing on a future episode.

Dixie not only was a fabulous tv actress but also had an amazing singing voice. Who can forget her rendition of "O Holy Night" She also performed on Broadway, most recently in "Thoroughly Modern Millie" in 2002.

She was born in McLemoresville, Tennessee and she and her husband spent half of their time here in Tennessee and the rest at their other home in Beverly Hills, CA. She attended University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College), and Memphis State University (now University of Memphis).

We will miss you, Dixie.