Nancy Hillis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
March 19, 1948
Nancy Hillis | |
|---|---|
 Hillis and Emma Kelly (at the piano) in 1994 | |
| Born | Nancy Lee Hillis March 19, 1948 Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | August 9, 2016 (aged 68) Savannah, Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Known for | Appearance in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil |
Nancy Lee Hillis (March 19, 1948 – August 9, 2016) was an American musician.[1] She came to prominence after her appearance as one of the main characters in John Berendt's 1994 true-crime book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.[2]
Hillis was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1948. She was raised by her grandparents.[3]
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
In John Berendt's 1994 book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Hillis was renamed "Mandy Nicholls",[4][5] the love interest of Joe Odom; however, Hillis stated that there was no romantic relationship between her and Odom, who was "not strictly heterosexual."[6] They performed music together only and owned a bar, Sweet Georgia Brown's, in Savannah's City Market.[7][3]
In 1991, Hillis purchased the Hamilton–Turner Inn in Savannah's Lafayette Square.[4]
Hillis said that, contrary to what Berendt wrote, she and Odom did not meet until Odom had moved from 16 East Jones Street in Savannah to 101 East Oglethorpe Avenue, a three-storey townhouse at the corner of Drayton Street. From there, he moved to 126 West Harris Street in Pulaski Square.[8]
Mandy Nicholls was portrayed by Alison Eastwood in her father's 1997 movie adaptation.