Happy Heavenly 69th: A Birthday Tribute To The Late Patrick Swayze

Aug 18, 2021 by apost team

Patrick Swayze was a beloved actor and dancer — someone who touched the lives of many, not only through his charm and good looks but in his positive attitude to life. It's hard to believe that legendary Swayze passed away over ten years ago.

A star even before "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost," Swayze will forever be in our hearts. Unfortunately, Swayze died on September 14, 2009, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. His faithful wife of 34 years, Lisa Niemi, was by his side the entire time.

On the day that would have been the star's 69th birthday, we take a look back at his life and accomplishments. While Swayze starred in many movies through his life, his fame was ignited after the cult classic "Dirty Dancing." 

“Dirty Dancing” catapulted Swayze and his co-star Jennifer Grey into instant stardom and was a defining moment for both actors as it earned both Grey and Swayze their first Golden Globe nomination. Swayze went on to star in other films, like “Road House” in 1989 and “Ghost” in 1990. He was even given his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997 for all his work in motion pictures.

Along with his love for acting. Swayze also had a deep love for dancing that he shared with his wife. In fact, the couple met as teenagers at Swayze's mother's dance school and got married in 1975. Niemi stood by Swayze through all the challenges that came in their lives, from the loss of their child to Swayze's battle with alcoholism. 

Born in Houston, Texas on August 18, 1952, Patrick was destined to be the dancer and star he would go on to become, as his mother Patsy was the owner of a dance studio in the city. Literally growing up in the dance world, Patrick learned many styles of dance there, before moving to New York City to complete his ballet education at the Joffrey Ballet School.

Soon enough Swayze got a role-playing Danny Zuko on Broadway, merging his training as a dancer with acting for the first time—a formula that would bring him great success. He continued to act following the peak of his career after "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost" and even went back to the stage, making his West End debut in London in the musical Guys and Dolls in 2006.

During this period he also took on more interesting roles such as a motivational speaker in Donnie Darko, as well as co-producing and starring in a dance film titled One Last Dance, with his wife. Swayze's final acting role was as an FBI agent in the television series The Beast. 

After they married in 1975, Swayze and his wife were together until Swayze's death in 2009. A new documentary aired ten years after the actor's untimely demise called I Am Patrick Swayze and featured Niemi. In the documentary, she talked about her time with Buddy, her nickname for her deceased husband. She opened up about how she walked out on the stage so long ago and looked into his eyes, adding that it was true love from the start. Neimi also opened up about how strong Swayze remained until the end of his life. 

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Swayze's death led to an outpouring of tributes from major figures in Hollywood. Jennifer Grey, Swayze's co-star in Dirty Dancing said, as reported by Entertainment Weekly:

"Patrick was a rare and beautiful combination of raw masculinity and amazing grace. Gorgeous and strong, he was a real cowboy with a tender heart."

Meanwhile, Whoopi Goldberg said of her "Ghost" co-star:

"Patrick was a really good man, a funny man and one to whom I owe much that I can’t ever repay. I believe in Ghost‘s message, so he’ll always be near.”

Niemi also still celebrates Patrick Swayze regularly, frequently posting to Instagram to keep his memory alive. Although she remarried in 2014 to jeweler Albert DePrisco, her love of Swayze will never cease. She told People Magazine in 2014 how her love for both men was never in conflict until DePrisco asked her to marry him. She flipped and flopped on whether to go ahead with the wedding, but ultimately she took a "leap of faith" and decided to do so, telling the magazine:

“Albert knew I still loved Patrick and would always love him, and told me, ‘and I know you love me, and I love you.’ How could I not marry this man? As I had time to process the change my life was going to take, my doubts became less and less, and I became more and more sure.”

We hope Patrick Swayze rests in peace. What was your favorite Patrick Swayze film? Let us know your thoughts, and be sure to pass this on to your friends and family!