Patrick Swayze.
I’m sure that he was my very first celebrity crush and what a wonderful crush he was.
I saw Dirty Dancing for the first time the year it came out. I was only 5 years old, but my parents let me watch it anyway. I didn’t know what it meant when they said, “Penny got knocked up.” And I didn’t have any idea what kind of operation Baby’s father helped fund to get Penny out of trouble.
I just knew that Baby and Johnny were dancing and they were dancing dirty. I knew that I loved the soundtrack and loved to sing along. I got the soundtrack for Easter that year and I was 100% positive that Baby and Johnny were actually singing “Love Is Strange” and not just lip synching it.
My absolutely favorite part of the movie is at the end, after they’ve done their routine and did the summer finale “Johnny’s way”, when Johnny is again lip synching the words to “Time of My Life” to Baby. Then he scrunches up his nose and says, “and I owe it all to you!” I just melt. I still melt.
What an incredible talent and he always seemed like such a real person. He was from Texas. He met his wife when he was very young, and despite a very high Hollywood divorce rate, they stayed together.
It’s always sad when a celebrity passes away, but his story just breaks my heart. Mostly because that movie was such a strong piece of my childhood. It’s also sad because it wasn’t a sudden death. It wasn’t surprising to any of us that he died, but still terribly sad.
I saw an episode of Oprah where Patrick Swayze surprised the sweet couple that recreated the “Time of My Life” dance for their wedding. I couldn’t find the episode, but here’s a clip of it in this interview. Such a nice guy to do that for this couple– and can you believe he remembered the dance two years later? I’m pretty sure I did that dance by myself in my bedroom fifty times.
I’m blasting the Dirty Dancing soundtrack while I work today and I plan on watching Ghost tonight.
RIP Patrick… Rest In Peace.
I am just so sad. I used to listen to the soundtrack on record too when I was 5. My sister and I would dress up in hideous tu-tu’s and dance around with our mom for hours!
I first saw that movie as a pre-teen at a friend’s house (Even though my mom had told me not to watch it!) and I too did not understand what happened with Penny and the doctor, but I still loved it to death. I first taped it off of TV to watch over and over, then bought a VHS, then bought a DVD. It’s one of my all-time favorites. I felt very sad to hear about his death, and Jennifer Grey had a very sweet statement about just remembering being in his arms, practicing the lift in the lake, neither aware of how many people would see the little movie they were making.
I use to practice the dance over and over as well. I think I even would get up in the middle of the movie to practice. Ya, I was cool. It was so sad to hear about his death yesterday. Such a great actor, and he made movies that will always be classics. RIP Patrick!
OK I would just have a heart attack if Patrick Swayze danced with me like that! He is so good looking! I’m so sad that he’s gone..he was so young!
I know all of the words to the movie, and can recite them by heart! I watched it for the first time when I was around 5-6 years old as well. He still makes me swoon!
I was 5 the first time I saw Dirty Dancing too! I was at my cousin’s house. My 2 older cousins were 3 and 5 years older than me…They kept rewinding the part where Patrick gets out of bed and you can see his butt!! We rewound it so many times, that part of the VHS was worn out!!! My older cousin got in trouble for letting me watch it!
Great post about Patrick!! he was a great guy!
Great post! My parents let me watch all the dance parts and they would fast forward through the other parts. My dad and I used to practice the “lift” So many great memories from one movie!
I absolutely loved that movie and the movie Ghost!!! He was such a GREAT actor and human being!!
I remember that Oprah episode too, I thought that was so nice of him to do that for the couple! RIP
This just breaks my heart….
WOW! Baby Barnes and I just watched this movie Sunday! ahh – I am so devastated! Truly!
I actually didn’t see Dirty Dancing until I was a freshman in college…all my friends used to talk about it and so they finally had me watch it. I was not impressed. No offence to any fans but I really didn’t like it. Maybe it would have made more of an impression if I had seen it as a little kid! haha
Either way…Patrick was a great actor and man! Very sad that he died so young 🙁
That’s my favorite part, too!
Seriously. My first crush, too! I was young when it came out, too, but my parents let me watch it and I LOVED it. Of course, I was clueless until later in life about all of it. My dad says he watches Dirty Dancing anytime it comes on tv because it reminds him of me when I was a little girl. My mom bought the cassette soundtrack and it is still one of my faves! He was a incredibly talented man and I had no idea what a devoted husband, until recently. I think I’m going to have to watch Dirty Dancing again sometime soon.
It seems as though so many great 80s icons died this year; it’s a shame since all of them were still rather young. I thought he was great in Dirty Dancing and Ghost.
My sister was in LURVE with Patrick Swayze. I was too little too care, but I enjoyed the movie despite not knowing what was going on with the abortion bit! When I saw it again when I was a teenager I went, “Oooooh! It all makes sense now!” Haha. It’s so sad that he died.
Ghost is going to make me cry SO much more than usual when I rewatch it now. “The love inside…you take it with you…” (*bawl*)
It is sooo sad! Cancer is a real bitch (excuse my language, please). I wasn’t allowed to see Dirty Dancing for the longest time and once I could watch it, I watched it over and over again. Love it. Still do.
So sad.
that is one of my favorite parts too!!! oh i loved him!! i thought he was just the best looking thing ever!! still do!
how sad!! DD was my first “big girl” movie and has been a fav ever sense. Dont think I will ever be able to watch it the same again. = (
love this post… so sad he’s gone. dirty dancing will always be one of the very best movies in my book!!
Tears. Real Tears. xoxo
i just teared up remembering the nose twitch.. gah.. it really is a huge shame.
great post.. such a sad day! one of my fav movie momments of all time!
very sad loss 🙁 I too, use to dance in front of the TV!! My hubby loved Patrick and even asked to do a blog post on him!!
That is one of my favorite parts too! Just thinking about it…ah! There is no movie I like more than this one…what a special one it has to be to watch over and over and never get sick of it. I almost cried when I saw online that he died. My heart hurts…
Ohhhhh how I loved Patrick Swayze and Dirty Dancing too! One of my all time favorite movies, not just dancing movies. 🙂 I can still watch it and quote line by line. And it’s funny, I remember when it came out on HBO a year or so after it was released…late 80’s…I still remember watching it for the first time on the living room floor and not having a clue what half the movie was about! Funny story…my mom and dad had to watch it and screen it a couple of times before they would let me and my older sister watch it. Sooooo, we ALWAYS watched it on our VHS tape they recorded for us…and they spliced out all of the good sex(y) scenes. I never saw those scenes until high school when watching with a friend at her house with her copy! I still laugh about it because my parents did such a great job splicing the movie, I never missed a beat! haha! 🙂 Glad I finally got to see the unedited version…it was great! 🙂
Mkay, I’m back. I have NEVER seen that couple who performed Time of My Life at their reception! I am sobbing at my desk right now…it literally gave me chills when I saw Patrick Swayze walk out and cut in and finish the dance. Ahhhhhhh!!! Such a legend and will be truly missed. :'(
Such a great movie and SO sad!!
Oh, it still makes me melt too. RIP, Patrick.