I Could Have Been Somebody

Dorothy is my wife’s grandmother. She flew to LA to visit the family and check in on my mother-in-law, who is still battling breast cancer. I flew back with her to Miami as it's hard for her to travel alone as she gets older, and it was an excuse for me to go visit my family. Married at 17 to the love of her life, she’s never spoken a bad word about her husband, Walter who passed away in 2002. A dairy farmer who helped invent an incubator for chickens, he made her an offer at their engagement – a diamond ring or a house. She chose the house. Walter and his brothers built it for her themselves. I didn’t meet Dorothy (who we all call “Bammy”) until a few days after the funeral, so sadly I never got to meet Walter. I’m told he was a strong, smart man who took great care of his family. He made a lot of money as a builder – they lived in a mansion with drivers, cooks, and nannies – but lost most of it as a result of building reverses in the 1970's. He also felt his wife should never have to work, and therefore Bammy – who had always loved to sing and sang professionally – was forced to choose between her husband and her art. She chose her husband. Although she never regretted the choice of husband, she does pine for the career that she might have had. Although no longer singing on the radio, she still continues to sing for family and friends. She also raised three children - and thankfully one of them gave birth to my wife, Carrie. And for that I’m forever thankful. Just don't mention to Bammy that I overlooked the chocolate on the side of her lip before I started filming, or else I'm in real trouble.

Dorothy, age 92.