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Fred Astaire

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Fred Astaire was born Frederick Austerlitz on 10 May 1899 in Omaha, Nebraska, and died on 22 June 1987. He was a dancer, actor, singer, musician and choreographer, with a career on stage, film and television that lasted seventy-six years. His mother wanted to escape from Omaha with her children's talents. In 1905 the family moved to New York, where Fred and his sister Adele trained in dance. On their mother's advice they changed their name to Astaire.

Music and breakthrough

In Hollywood he appeared in ten musicals with Ginger Rogers, including Top Hat from 1935, Swing Time from 1936 and Shall We Dance from 1937. Later came films such as Holiday Inn in 1942 and Easter Parade in 1948. In 1950 he received an Academy Honorary Award and in 1978 the Kennedy Center Honors. Night and Day from 1932, a song by Cole Porter, belongs to his early work. He also sang on records, such as The Astaire Story from 1953.

Influence

Astaire drew on tap dance, classical ballet and the refined style of Vernon and Irene Castle, and himself called his approach the outlaw style. His style had a great influence on American Smooth, a form of ballroom dance. As a singer he had a light, natural voice, and many composers wrote songs for him. He was regarded as the greatest popular dancer of all time and showed how dance and song in film together tell a story.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Night and Day and notice how lightly and effortlessly Astaire sings the melody, almost like spoken text. Can you hear how the rhythm of the accompaniment recalls his dancing?

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Mentioned in other articles

See also

Categories: ArtistsTin Pan AlleyFilmmusical