Gregory Hines (1946-2003):
 | Childhood: Gregory began dancing as a toddler. When he was only 2, his father placed him in a dance act with his older brothers. At the age of 5, he began to tour with his brother, Maurice. They were known as the Hines Kids and performed together for several years. When they became adolescents, the brothers joined their father and became known as Hines, Hines and Dad. The threesome toured nightclubs together and even appeared on television. |
Broadway Career:
In 1973, Tony headed for New York and launched a successful broadway career. Gregory proved to have an incredible talent for tap dancing. He was nominated for Tony Awards three years in a row for various starring roles. In 1993 he received the Best Actor Tony Award for his starring role in Jelly's Last Jam.
Film Career:
Gregory followed his success on Broadway with several non-dancing roles in film. He starred in many well-known movies, including Renaissance Man, Waiting to Exhale and The Preacher's Wife. His famous dancing roles included starring with Mikhael Baryshnikov in the spy thriller White Nights and starring in the great dance movie, Tap.
Death:
Gregory died of liver cancer in 2003, at the young age of 57. He had kept the disease to himself, so his untimely death came as quite a shock. As a tribute to Gregory, the lights of Broadway were dimmed in his honor for three days following his death.
John Travolta (1954-present):
In 1975, Travolta was cast as Vinnie Barbarino in "Welcome Back, Kotter," an ABC sitcom. The role led him to overnight superstardom. Also in the mid-70's he recorded a hit single entitled "Let Her In" that peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. During the next few years, he appeared in his popular screen roles of Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Danny Zuko in Grease (1978). These two films raised John to international stardom, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best actor. At age 24, he became one of the youngest performers ever nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor.
Bad Choices:
A string of bad decisions sidelined John's acting career during the late 70's and into the 80's. "Staying Alive" was just one of a few disasters that were chewed up by critics. His agent then led him to turn down promising acting roles, lead roles that actually became box office hits. These included "American Gigolo," "Flash dance," "An Officer and a Gentleman," "Splash" and "Fatal Attraction." Discouraged, John began pursuing a new hobby: flying. He eventually earned his license to command aircraft.
Back in Action:
John's acting career was revived in 1994 when he received an Academy Award nomination for Quentin Tarantino's hit "Pulp Fiction," making one of the greatest comebacks in entertainment history. The hit movie introduced John to a new generation of movie fans. Suddenly he was again a major star, commanding a huge salary.
John went on to star in several hit movies, including "Get Shorty," Ladder 49" and "Wild Hogs." He also played Edna Turnblad in the remake of Hairspray, his first musical since "Grease."
Personal Life:
John married actress Kelly Preston in 1991. They have two children together, son Jett and daughter Ella Bleu. He was previously involved with actress Diana Hyland, who died of breast cancer in 1977.
John enjoys flying; he is a certified pilot and owns five aircraft. He has been a practitioner of Scientology since 1975.
Gene Kelly (1912-1996):
In 1973, Tony headed for New York and launched a successful broadway career. Gregory proved to have an incredible talent for tap dancing. He was nominated for Tony Awards three years in a row for various starring roles. In 1993 he received the Best Actor Tony Award for his starring role in Jelly's Last Jam.
Film Career:
Gregory followed his success on Broadway with several non-dancing roles in film. He starred in many well-known movies, including Renaissance Man, Waiting to Exhale and The Preacher's Wife. His famous dancing roles included starring with Mikhael Baryshnikov in the spy thriller White Nights and starring in the great dance movie, Tap.
Death:
Gregory died of liver cancer in 2003, at the young age of 57. He had kept the disease to himself, so his untimely death came as quite a shock. As a tribute to Gregory, the lights of Broadway were dimmed in his honor for three days following his death.
John Travolta (1954-present):
 | Early Years: John Travolta was born on February 18, 1954 in Englewood, New Jersey. His father, Salvatore Travolta, was a semi-professional football player and partner in a tire company. His mother, Helen Cecilia, was an actress, singer and high school teacher. John was the youngest of six children, who all but one pursued a career in show business. |
Early Career:
In 1975, Travolta was cast as Vinnie Barbarino in "Welcome Back, Kotter," an ABC sitcom. The role led him to overnight superstardom. Also in the mid-70's he recorded a hit single entitled "Let Her In" that peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. During the next few years, he appeared in his popular screen roles of Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Danny Zuko in Grease (1978). These two films raised John to international stardom, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best actor. At age 24, he became one of the youngest performers ever nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor.
Bad Choices:
A string of bad decisions sidelined John's acting career during the late 70's and into the 80's. "Staying Alive" was just one of a few disasters that were chewed up by critics. His agent then led him to turn down promising acting roles, lead roles that actually became box office hits. These included "American Gigolo," "Flash dance," "An Officer and a Gentleman," "Splash" and "Fatal Attraction." Discouraged, John began pursuing a new hobby: flying. He eventually earned his license to command aircraft.
Back in Action:
John's acting career was revived in 1994 when he received an Academy Award nomination for Quentin Tarantino's hit "Pulp Fiction," making one of the greatest comebacks in entertainment history. The hit movie introduced John to a new generation of movie fans. Suddenly he was again a major star, commanding a huge salary.
John went on to star in several hit movies, including "Get Shorty," Ladder 49" and "Wild Hogs." He also played Edna Turnblad in the remake of Hairspray, his first musical since "Grease."
Personal Life:
John married actress Kelly Preston in 1991. They have two children together, son Jett and daughter Ella Bleu. He was previously involved with actress Diana Hyland, who died of breast cancer in 1977.
John enjoys flying; he is a certified pilot and owns five aircraft. He has been a practitioner of Scientology since 1975.
Gene Kelly (1912-1996):
 | Early Years: Eugene (Gene) Kelly was born on August 23, 1912 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His father was James Kelly, a phonograph salesman who made only a modest living for his family. His mother, Harriet Curran, introduced Gene and his four siblings to the arts. When Gene was eight years old, the Kelly children, Jay, Jim, Gene, Louise, and Fred were performing dance routines at amateur vaudeville nights. They were known as "The Five Kellys." |
College and Dance:
Gene enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh in 1931 to study economics, earning his degree in 1933. During the same time, his family opened a dance school, "The Gene Kelly Studio of the Dance." Gene so enjoyed teaching at the studio that he decided to pursue a career as a dance teacher and entertainer full-time. In 1937, he moved to New York City to find work as a choreographer.
Dancing on Broadway:
Gene's first job on Broadway was as a dancer in "Leave It to Me," but is considered today as the debut of Mary Martin, not of Gene. His next role was in "One for the Money," which was slightly larger. A big break came next for Gene when he starred as Harry the Hoofer in "The Time of Your Life," a play that won the Drama Critic's Award that year. It was the first time on Broadway that Gene danced to his own choreography. Around the same time Gene met his future wife, Betsy Blair. They were married on October 16, 1941.
Singin' in the Rain:
After joining the army for a time during World War II, Gene completed several successful movies. Possibly his most memorable role was "Singin' in the Rain." A bit overshadowed by "An American in Paris" at the time, it has since become one of America's most popular musicals.
String of Bad Luck:
Probably a costly mistake, Gene signed a contract with MGM that sent him to Europe for eighteen months. Unfortunately, he was cast in a series of unsuccessful dramatic roles. Gene then watched a number of his personal relationships fail. First, he split from longtime friend and partner Stanley Donen. Then, in 1957, Gene and Betsy ended their fifteen-year marriage in divorce.
Later Life:
Gene married Jeannie Coyne in 1960, his longtime dance assistant and former student. They had two children together, son Timothy and daughter Bridget. Gene began working on a few different projects at this time, including some directing and television work.
Sadly, tragedy struck in 1973 when his wife Jeannie died of cancer. Gene then played the roles of both mother and father to his two young children, refusing any work that took him too far from home.
Death:
The 1970s and 1980s proved to be a turn-around for Gene's career. "That's Entertainment!" and "That's Entertainment! II" were very successful. In 1982, Gene received the Kennedy Center Honors, and in 1985, a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute.
Gene remarried in 1990, to writer Patricia Ward. He worked diligently on his autobiography during the last few years of his life, but was unable to complete it before his death. Gene died at his home on February 2, 1996 after a series of strokes.
Patrick Swayze (1952-2009)
Gene enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh in 1931 to study economics, earning his degree in 1933. During the same time, his family opened a dance school, "The Gene Kelly Studio of the Dance." Gene so enjoyed teaching at the studio that he decided to pursue a career as a dance teacher and entertainer full-time. In 1937, he moved to New York City to find work as a choreographer.
Dancing on Broadway:
Gene's first job on Broadway was as a dancer in "Leave It to Me," but is considered today as the debut of Mary Martin, not of Gene. His next role was in "One for the Money," which was slightly larger. A big break came next for Gene when he starred as Harry the Hoofer in "The Time of Your Life," a play that won the Drama Critic's Award that year. It was the first time on Broadway that Gene danced to his own choreography. Around the same time Gene met his future wife, Betsy Blair. They were married on October 16, 1941.
Singin' in the Rain:
After joining the army for a time during World War II, Gene completed several successful movies. Possibly his most memorable role was "Singin' in the Rain." A bit overshadowed by "An American in Paris" at the time, it has since become one of America's most popular musicals.
String of Bad Luck:
Probably a costly mistake, Gene signed a contract with MGM that sent him to Europe for eighteen months. Unfortunately, he was cast in a series of unsuccessful dramatic roles. Gene then watched a number of his personal relationships fail. First, he split from longtime friend and partner Stanley Donen. Then, in 1957, Gene and Betsy ended their fifteen-year marriage in divorce.
Later Life:
Gene married Jeannie Coyne in 1960, his longtime dance assistant and former student. They had two children together, son Timothy and daughter Bridget. Gene began working on a few different projects at this time, including some directing and television work.
Sadly, tragedy struck in 1973 when his wife Jeannie died of cancer. Gene then played the roles of both mother and father to his two young children, refusing any work that took him too far from home.
Death:
The 1970s and 1980s proved to be a turn-around for Gene's career. "That's Entertainment!" and "That's Entertainment! II" were very successful. In 1982, Gene received the Kennedy Center Honors, and in 1985, a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute.
Gene remarried in 1990, to writer Patricia Ward. He worked diligently on his autobiography during the last few years of his life, but was unable to complete it before his death. Gene died at his home on February 2, 1996 after a series of strokes.
Patrick Swayze (1952-2009)
 | Early Life: Patrick Swayze was born in 1952 in Houston. His father was a chemical plant engineer and his mother was a dancer and choreographer. In high school, Patrick was a talented football player as well as a gymnast, earning him an athletic scholarship to college. Patrick focused his talents on dancing at a young age. He attended several ballet schools, including the Joffrey Ballet. He was the principal dancer with the Eliot Feld company. He moved to new york to start his career, but an old football injury halted his plans. He then turned to acting. |
Career:
Patrick got his first acting break in the Broadway production of Grease. He then moved to Hollywood and played several supporting roles in television sitcoms and made-for-television movies. Patrick gained fame in 1987 with his starring role with Jennifer Grey in the sleeper hit Dirty Dancing. Although the dancing role established Patrick as a Hollywood heartthrob, the dancing proved too much for his body and ended his dancing career. He continued to accept movie roles, some bad and some good. He struck gold again in 1990 when he starred opposite Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg in the hit movie Ghost.
Life Today:
ssociated with the Catholic church, Patrick was known to have deep spiritual beliefs. He was also known to have been associated with Baptism, Buddhism, and Scientology. He battled alcoholism for a time, but was able to beat it. He married Lisa Niemi in 1975. The couple had no children.
Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early 2008. He lost his battle with the disease on September 14, 2009, at the age of 57.
Patrick got his first acting break in the Broadway production of Grease. He then moved to Hollywood and played several supporting roles in television sitcoms and made-for-television movies. Patrick gained fame in 1987 with his starring role with Jennifer Grey in the sleeper hit Dirty Dancing. Although the dancing role established Patrick as a Hollywood heartthrob, the dancing proved too much for his body and ended his dancing career. He continued to accept movie roles, some bad and some good. He struck gold again in 1990 when he starred opposite Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg in the hit movie Ghost.
Life Today:
ssociated with the Catholic church, Patrick was known to have deep spiritual beliefs. He was also known to have been associated with Baptism, Buddhism, and Scientology. He battled alcoholism for a time, but was able to beat it. He married Lisa Niemi in 1975. The couple had no children.
Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in early 2008. He lost his battle with the disease on September 14, 2009, at the age of 57.
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