Patrick Swayze was an incredible actor, dancer, singer, choreographer, and producer who was a world-renowned star for decades!
Swayze was born on August 18, 1952, in Houston, Texas. His mother was a dancer and choreographer, and Patrick spent his young life pursuing arts and athletics such as ice skating, classical ballet, and acting in local theater.
In 1972, the young soon-to-be star moved to New York City to attend formal schooling for dance. Towards the end of the 1970s, Swayze began to make a name for himself, dancing for Disney, landing the role of Danny Zuko in a Broadway production of Grease, and in a Pabst Blue Ribbon commercial.
By the 80s, Patrick Swayze had several roles on television and in quite successful films. However, it is widely accepted that his big break was his role as Johnny Castle in the low-budget movie Dirty Dancing.
This movie was a total surprise hit, and he gained international recognition for his acting, dancing, and even the song She is Like the Wind, which he wrote and sang for the film. He received a Grammy nomination for his role as Johnny and was consequently in high demand in Hollywood.
The song he wrote for the film also became incredibly popular and has been covered many times over the years. While Swayze continued to write and sing songs for his other films, She’s Like the Wind will always be his biggest hit.
His immense success continued in his subsequent 2 films, Road House and Ghost. In Ghost, Swayze co-starred alongside Demi Moore, and the film was one of the highest grossing of the year. It won an Academy Award for Best Picture, and Swayze earned another Golden Globe nomination for his acting.
