Fred Astaire

American dancer and actor, a long-time beloved star who carried the mantle of greatness with dignity. A skinny elf, in dance he was poetry in motion, a sprite who flew lightly in grace and a memorable talent. The son of an immigrant who grew up in rough-scuff vaudeville houses, he became a man of elegant manners and ineffable style. As a kid, his dad played the piano, and when he was four, his mom took him with his two-year-older sister, Adele, to dancing school. They made their first professional appearance for $50 in Keyport, NJ a year later as the Astaire's. Their reviews raved, calling them "the greatest child act in vaudeville." They moved into the stratosphere of a five-month tour at $150 a week. After five years of success, the act fell apart when Adele grew and blossomed and Freddie remained a skinny kid. They went to public school for two years, the only formal education they ever had. When Fred grew tall enough to match his sister, they took a course in advanced dance and hit the road once more as a team. From 1916 they were stars, playing in a fire-cracker string of Broadway and London super hits that included "For Goodness Sake," "Lady Be Good," "Funny Face," and "The Band Wagon." They were the toast of two continents, a famous dance team for 16 years. In 1932, Adele married Lord Charles Cavendish and quit the stage forever. Astaire fell in love and married a petite, 25-year-old New York socialite, Phyllis Potter, in 1933, then he took his bride and headed for Hollywood. She was born on 4 May 1908 in Boston as Phyllis Livingston Baker, and former wife of Eliphalet Nott Potter III (1906–1981). During a prior attempt to break into the film genre, the producer who reviewed his screen test added a line to his history that was classic, "Can't act. Can't sing. Balding. Can dance a little." This time, Astaire hit Hollywood like an explosion. In his second picture, "Flying Down to Rio," he was teamed with Ginger Rogers and they danced a fandango called the carioca that brought down the house. They became the most durable and dazzling musical comedy team, starring in eight more movie musicals, "The Gay Divorcee," "Roberta," "Top Hat," "Follow the Fleet," "Swing Time," "Shall we Dance?" "Carefree," and "The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle." Together they made magic. Katharine Hepburn remarked, "Astaire gave her class; Rogers gave him sex." After their last film together, Rogers went on to straight dramatic parts. Other films included "Daddy Long Legs," 1955, "Funny Face," 1957 and "The Notorious Landlady," 1965. Astaire had a passion for perfection and was a hard taskmaster for himself, as well as for his partner. He would rehearse a number until it became second nature and he could do it in his sleep. To make his performance look effortless, he would rehearse up to 18 hours a day for six to nine weeks. With his wealth deep into eight figures, he continued to make TV specials into his 60s, dancing nearly up to the time he was 70. His last movie, "Ghost Story," was made when he was 82. He was a workaholic all of his life, loving what he did. He and Phyllis had a strong, devoted marriage and three kids, Fred Jr., born 21 January 1936, Ava, born 28 March 1942 and step-son Peter Potter, from Phyllis' former marriage. When Phyllis died in 1954, he was devastated and missed her terribly, feeling that there was no reason to continue living. His aged mother lived with him until she died in 1975 at 96. Nothing filled the gap until he met 31-year-old Robyn Smith on 1 January 1973, 45 years younger, born 14 August 1944. She was a leading woman jockey who was the first to fall in love, then relating that she "chased him until he caught her." They married on 24 June 1980. Robyn, a constant companion, is credited with making his last years happy. They lived quietly for the most part, playing backgammon and pool. He ate lightly, as he always had, never weighing more than 136 lbs at tops. At times they went to the track, both enjoying the races. On 12 June 1987, Astaire was admitted to the hospital with a severe cold that turned into pneumonia and he died on 22 June 1987, 4:25 AM PDT, Century City, CA with his wife, Robyn, holding him in her arms. Link to Wikipedia biography