Fred Astaire

Fred Astaire
Astaire in 1941
Born
Frederick Austerlitz

(1899-05-10)May 10, 1899
DiedJune 22, 1987(1987-06-22) (aged 88)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeOakwood Memorial Park Cemetery
Occupations
  • Dancer
  • actor
  • singer
  • choreographer
  • presenter
Years active1904–1981
Spouses
Phyllis Livingston Potter
(m. 1933; died 1954)
(m. 1980)
Children2
RelativesAdele Astaire (sister)
Musical career
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • percussion
  • piano
  • accordion
  • clarinet
Labels

Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz;[1] May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, actor, singer, choreographer, and presenter. He is widely regarded as the "greatest popular-music dancer of all time".[2] He received numerous accolades including an Honorary Academy Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award. He was honored with the Film Society of Lincoln Center tribute in 1973, the Kennedy Center Honors in 1978, and AFI Life Achievement Award in 1980. He was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1972, and the Television Hall of Fame in 1989.

Astaire's career in stage, film, and television spanned 76 years. He starred in more than 10 Broadway and West End musicals, made 31 musical films, four television specials, and numerous recordings. As a dancer, he was known for his uncanny sense of rhythm, creativity, and tireless perfectionism. Astaire's most memorable dancing partnership was with Ginger Rogers, with whom he co-starred in 10 Hollywood musicals during the classic age of Hollywood cinema, including Top Hat (1935), Swing Time (1936), and Shall We Dance (1937).[3] Astaire's fame grew in films like Holiday Inn (1942), Easter Parade (1948), The Band Wagon (1953), Funny Face (1957), and Silk Stockings (1957). The American Film Institute named Astaire the fifth-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood cinema in 100 Years... 100 Stars.[4][5]

  1. ^ Billman, Larry (1997). Fred Astaire: A Bio-bibliography. Connecticut: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-29010-5.
  2. ^ Fred Astaire at the Encyclopædia Britannica
  3. ^ Oxford illustrated encyclopedia. Judge, Harry George., Toyne, Anthony. Oxford [England]: Oxford University Press. 1985–1993. p. 25. ISBN 0-19-869129-7. OCLC 11814265.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. ^ "1981 Fred Astaire Tribute" afi.com
  5. ^ "AFI'S 100 Years...100 Stars" Archived October 25, 2014, at the Wayback Machine afi.com. Retrieved October 11, 2017