Fred Astaire

From the 1920s, when he was half of a popular vaudeville trio with his sister, Adele, until his 1987 death, Fred Astaire was one of the most beloved stars in the world. A gifted comic actor whose light, mellifluous voice would have made him a star even without his incomparable dancing ability, Astaire was a star of Broadway and Hollywood for decades (often with his iconic dancing partner Ginger Rogers), introducing such standards as "Cheek To Cheek" and "Puttin' On The Ritz" to the Great American Songbook.