When and how did Fred Astaire die, what musicals did he make with Ginger Rogers and what dances were his most famous?
The Hollywood tap dancer is still regarded as one of the greatest all singing and dancing icons that ever lived - but he started out performing in a duo with his sister before finding superstardom
FRED Astaire was one of humanity's greatest ever dancers - and his legacy lives on through the films he made throughout his whopping 76 year career.
Here we look at the life, death and performances of the iconic Hollywood star.
When did Fred Astaire die?
Fred Astaire died from pneumonia on June 22, 1987 aged 88.
Before passing away, was reported to have crowned Michael Jackson as his 'replacement'.
He said: "I didn't want to leave this world without knowing who my descendant was, thank you Michael."
Where was Fred Astaire from, and how did his career begin?
Fred's career spanned almost the entirety of his life, and began when he was
He was born Frederick Austerlitz on May 10, 1899 in Omaha, Nebraska to German and Austrian immigrant parents.
His mother set him and his sister Adele up as a siblings dance duo, and by 1905 the family had relocated to New York to help develop the duo's phenomenal talents and launch their showbiz careers.
The pair were heralded as the best sibling act on the Vaudeville circuit at that time, and their career went from strength to strength, ending only after Adele wed in 1932.
Before that they performed on Broadway and in London's West End.
Stopping his sibling partnership meant Fred was free to dance with others, and he was soon cast in The Gay Divorcee with Ginger Rogers, one of his most famous dance partners and co-star in nine films.
Who did Fred Astaire dance with?
Fred - who was 5'9" - is best known for dancing with Ginger Rogers, but also danced with Gene Kelly,
Other partners were Joan Crawford, Rita Hayworth, Cyd Charisse, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, and Bing Crosby.
What are Fred Astaire's best known films?
- The Band Wagon (1953)
- Top Hat (1935)
- The Gay Divorcee (1934)
- The Towering Inferno (1974)
- Easter Parade (1948)
- Royal Wedding (1951)
- Swing Time (1936)
- The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)
- Holiday Inn (1942)
- Silk Stockings (1957)
Has there ever been a film of his life?
Fred Astaire refused to let his own life story become a film - and a clause in his will makes sure that continues in to his death, too.
He said: "However much they offer me—and offers come in all the time—I shall not sell.
"It is there because I have no particular desire to have my life misinterpreted, which it would be."
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Who did Fred Astaire marry and did he have any children?
Fred wed twice, first to Phyllis Livingston Potter who had two children with.
They walked down in the aisle in 1933, and were happily married until 1954 when she died from cancer aged just 46.
Fred reportedly pursued her for two years, although she was already married to someone else.
He also defied his mum and sister's wishes to wed her - and proved them wrong with their blissfully happy union.
He married a female jockey 45-years his junior named Robyn Smith in 1980, seven years before his death.
What films did he make with Ginger Rogers?
Flying Down to Rio (1933)
The Gay Divorcee (1934)
Roberta (1935)
Top Hat (1935)
Follow the Fleet (1936)
Swing Time (1936)
Shall We Dance (1937)
Carefree (1938)
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle (1939)
The Barkleys of Broadway (1949)
Did Fred Astaire invent Michael Jackson's Moonwalk dance?
It has been widely reported that Fred Astaire inspired Michael Jackson's iconic Moonwalk dance, yet MJ said differently.
Speaking to Ebony magazine in 2007, he recalled the legend's reaction to seeing him unleash the tricky move for the first time as he sang Billie Jean at the Motown 25th Anniversary Special in 1983.
He said: "Fred Astaire calls and said, 'I watched it last night, and I taped it, and I watched it again this morning. You're a helluva mover.'
"So, later, when I saw Fred Astaire, he did this (moonwalk move) with his fingers."