Biography
Fred Astaire
b: May 10, 1899, Omaha, NB, USA.
d: June 22, 1987, Los Angeles, CA, USA. (pneumonia)
nee: Frederick E. Austerlitz, Jr.
It is indeed curious, that an actor as famous as Fred Astaire, was completely unknown as a composer and lyricist. He was also unknown as a pianist and drummer. This son of an Austrian immigrant was already performing on vaudeville stages when he was just age 5. Both Fred and his sister, Adele, formed a successful team working first on the vaudeville circuits, and then in Broadway and London stage musicals. In 1932, sister Adele retired to marry, and Astaire went to Hollywood. He first signed to RKO Pictures, but was loaned to MGM to appear in the Joan Crawford film Dancing Lady. But, it was in his next film, RKO's Flying Down to Rio, that starring the voluptuous Lupe Velez, and her co-star Gene Raymond, that would launch Fred and a young starlet, Ginger Rogers, into film stardom. Fred and Ginger would go on to dance together in 9 RKO pictures, setting a level of dancing elegance and excellence perhaps never again achieved on the 'Silver Screen'. During these years he was also active in recording and radio. After Ginger, Fred later appeared opposite a number of different partners, in different studios, including Cyd Charisse, Rita Hayworth, and Leslie Caron. During 1945-'47, Fred was in temporary film retirement, during which he opened a chain of Astaire Dancing Schools. He did return to film making and starred in still more musicals through 1957. When he considered his age, he afterwards accepted only dramatic roles in film and TV.
Fred was twice married, first to Phyllis Livingston Potter on 12 July 1933. The marriage lasted till she died on 13 September 1954. The couple had 2 children, son Fred Jr. (born 1936), daughter Ava (born 1942). He next married Robyn Smith on 27 June 1980, and that marriage lasted till Fred's demise on 22 June 1987. Fred once told an interviewer "The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any (on screen)." Fred was buried in the same cemetary as his most famous dancing partner, Ginger Rogers.
A chronological listing of the songs that Fred wrote the Music or the Lyric includes:
"She's Got the War Bride Blues", 1919, with Roy Atwell.
"You've Such a Lot", 1923. lyric: Austin Melford, sung in London, UK, musical The Co-Optimists
"Shake Your Feet", 1927. lyric: Jock Whitney and Jim Altemus, for the musical revue Tappin' The Time
"Not My Girl", 1929. with Van Phillips. lyric: Desmond Carter, orig. recorded by Al Starita and his Boy Friends.
"More and More", 1930. with Richard Myers, lyric: Johnny Mercer.
"Blue Without You", 1931. co-composed with Jim Altemus, lyric: Mitchell Parish.
"I'll Never Let You Go", 1936. lyric: Dave Dreyer, and Jack Ellis
"I'm Building Up To An Awful Let-Down", 1936. lyric: Johnny Mercer. Tune managed to reach #4 on US charts.
"Just One More Dance, Madame", lyric: Dave Dreyer and Paul Francis Webster, 1936
"Tappin' The Time", 1936. lyric: Gladys Shelley
"Rise and Shine", 1936. lyric: Gladys Shelley
"Sweet Sorrow", 1940. lyric: Gladys Shelley; Later (1956) recorded by Buddy Bregman Orch.
"Just Like Taking Candy From A Baby", 1940. lyric: Gladys Shelley. Rec'd: 1940 Benny Goodman Orch.,
and 1956 Buddy Bregman Orch.
"If Swing Goes, I Go To", 1944. lyric: Fred Astaire. Fred rec'd the tune with Albert Sack Orch. in 1944.
The scene with Fred and the tune was cut from the MGM Film "Ziegfeld Follies".
"Oh, My Achin' Back", 1945. lyric: Willie Shore, and Morey Amsterdam. (Fred recorded it with Albert Sack's Orch.)
"Rhythmic Boogie Woogie", 1946. (for a dance routine in Paramount film Blue Skies)
"Piano Dance", 1950. composed with Tommy Chambers and Mason Van Cleave. (used as dance routine in
Paramount film Let's Dance)
"There's No Time Like The Present" 1952. lyrics: Walter Ruick; Rec'd: Buddy Bregman Orch.
"Hello, Baby", 1956. lyric: Moe Jaffe, and Walter Ruick,
"Lovely Melody", 1956. lyric: Gladys Shelley
"Calypso Hooray", 1956. lyric: Fred Astaire. Rec'd: Buddy Bregman Orch.
"The Afterbeat", 1959. words and music by Johnny Mercer and Fred Astaire.
"You Worry Me", 1962. lyric: Fred Astaire
"Girls Like You", 1962. Music with Tommy Wolf, lyric: Tommy Wolf.
"I Love Everybody But You", 1962. lyric: Fred and his daughter Ava (born 1942).
"Life Is Beautiful", 1974. lyric: Tommy Wolf.
"City of the Angels", 1974.lyric: Tommy Wolf.
Source: nfo.net
b: May 10, 1899, Omaha, NB, USA.
d: June 22, 1987, Los Angeles, CA, USA. (pneumonia)
nee: Frederick E. Austerlitz, Jr.
It is indeed curious, that an actor as famous as Fred Astaire, was completely unknown as a composer and lyricist. He was also unknown as a pianist and drummer. This son of an Austrian immigrant was already performing on vaudeville stages when he was just age 5. Both Fred and his sister, Adele, formed a successful team working first on the vaudeville circuits, and then in Broadway and London stage musicals. In 1932, sister Adele retired to marry, and Astaire went to Hollywood. He first signed to RKO Pictures, but was loaned to MGM to appear in the Joan Crawford film Dancing Lady. But, it was in his next film, RKO's Flying Down to Rio, that starring the voluptuous Lupe Velez, and her co-star Gene Raymond, that would launch Fred and a young starlet, Ginger Rogers, into film stardom. Fred and Ginger would go on to dance together in 9 RKO pictures, setting a level of dancing elegance and excellence perhaps never again achieved on the 'Silver Screen'. During these years he was also active in recording and radio. After Ginger, Fred later appeared opposite a number of different partners, in different studios, including Cyd Charisse, Rita Hayworth, and Leslie Caron. During 1945-'47, Fred was in temporary film retirement, during which he opened a chain of Astaire Dancing Schools. He did return to film making and starred in still more musicals through 1957. When he considered his age, he afterwards accepted only dramatic roles in film and TV.
Fred was twice married, first to Phyllis Livingston Potter on 12 July 1933. The marriage lasted till she died on 13 September 1954. The couple had 2 children, son Fred Jr. (born 1936), daughter Ava (born 1942). He next married Robyn Smith on 27 June 1980, and that marriage lasted till Fred's demise on 22 June 1987. Fred once told an interviewer "The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any (on screen)." Fred was buried in the same cemetary as his most famous dancing partner, Ginger Rogers.
A chronological listing of the songs that Fred wrote the Music or the Lyric includes:
"She's Got the War Bride Blues", 1919, with Roy Atwell.
"You've Such a Lot", 1923. lyric: Austin Melford, sung in London, UK, musical The Co-Optimists
"Shake Your Feet", 1927. lyric: Jock Whitney and Jim Altemus, for the musical revue Tappin' The Time
"Not My Girl", 1929. with Van Phillips. lyric: Desmond Carter, orig. recorded by Al Starita and his Boy Friends.
"More and More", 1930. with Richard Myers, lyric: Johnny Mercer.
"Blue Without You", 1931. co-composed with Jim Altemus, lyric: Mitchell Parish.
"I'll Never Let You Go", 1936. lyric: Dave Dreyer, and Jack Ellis
"I'm Building Up To An Awful Let-Down", 1936. lyric: Johnny Mercer. Tune managed to reach #4 on US charts.
"Just One More Dance, Madame", lyric: Dave Dreyer and Paul Francis Webster, 1936
"Tappin' The Time", 1936. lyric: Gladys Shelley
"Rise and Shine", 1936. lyric: Gladys Shelley
"Sweet Sorrow", 1940. lyric: Gladys Shelley; Later (1956) recorded by Buddy Bregman Orch.
"Just Like Taking Candy From A Baby", 1940. lyric: Gladys Shelley. Rec'd: 1940 Benny Goodman Orch.,
and 1956 Buddy Bregman Orch.
"If Swing Goes, I Go To", 1944. lyric: Fred Astaire. Fred rec'd the tune with Albert Sack Orch. in 1944.
The scene with Fred and the tune was cut from the MGM Film "Ziegfeld Follies".
"Oh, My Achin' Back", 1945. lyric: Willie Shore, and Morey Amsterdam. (Fred recorded it with Albert Sack's Orch.)
"Rhythmic Boogie Woogie", 1946. (for a dance routine in Paramount film Blue Skies)
"Piano Dance", 1950. composed with Tommy Chambers and Mason Van Cleave. (used as dance routine in
Paramount film Let's Dance)
"There's No Time Like The Present" 1952. lyrics: Walter Ruick; Rec'd: Buddy Bregman Orch.
"Hello, Baby", 1956. lyric: Moe Jaffe, and Walter Ruick,
"Lovely Melody", 1956. lyric: Gladys Shelley
"Calypso Hooray", 1956. lyric: Fred Astaire. Rec'd: Buddy Bregman Orch.
"The Afterbeat", 1959. words and music by Johnny Mercer and Fred Astaire.
"You Worry Me", 1962. lyric: Fred Astaire
"Girls Like You", 1962. Music with Tommy Wolf, lyric: Tommy Wolf.
"I Love Everybody But You", 1962. lyric: Fred and his daughter Ava (born 1942).
"Life Is Beautiful", 1974. lyric: Tommy Wolf.
"City of the Angels", 1974.lyric: Tommy Wolf.
Source: nfo.net
Labels: Fred Astaire Biography
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