Patrick Wayne Swayze was born on August 18, 1952, in Houston, Texas, to Patsy Swayze, a choreographer, and Jesse Wayne Swayze, a chemical plant engineer and draftsman.
His mother owned a dance school in Houston, where Patrick was a student, and his father passed away in 1982.
He graduated from Waltrip High School in Houston and attended San Jacinto College in Pasadena, Texas.
He married actress and dancer Lisa Niemi on June 12, 1975, whom he had known since she was 15 and a student at his mother's dance school.
Swayze received dance training in New York City, including at the Harkness Ballet School and Joffrey Ballet School.
He first danced professionally as "Prince Charming" in "Disney on Parade" and later as "Danny Zuko" in the original Broadway production of "Grease".
He made his film debut with a small role in "Skatetown U.S.A." (1979) and his television debut in 1981 on "M*A*S*H".
He landed his breakthrough role as dance instructor "Johnny Castle" in the hit film "Dirty Dancing" (1987),for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.
He received a second nomination for his portrayal of "Sam Wheat" in the blockbuster "Ghost" (1990),which was the highest-grossing film of 1990 and at one point the fourth highest-grossing film of all time.
Unfortunately, he did not capitalize on the success of "Ghost", and his subsequent films did not fare well with critics or audiences.
In December 2003, he returned to Broadway as a replacement for the lead role of "Billy Flynn" in the acclaimed revival of "Chicago", and the production also went on tour in several cities of the United States, including Los Angeles.
In January 2008, he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and fought the illness for well over a year, continuing to work until his death on September 14, 2009.
