American entertainer, 1899–1987.
A vaudevillian who made it to the movies to become the box office star who defined elegance and grace, and who turned tap dancing from a street art into the height of sophistication. He is justifiably remembered primarily for the exquisite dancing he did in his movie musicals, but often overlooked is the fact that Astaire could sell a song like few others.
Irving Berlin once said, "I'd rather have Fred Astaire sing one of my songs than anybody else." Listen to "Cheek to Cheek," one of Berlin's best, and see if you don't agree.
Astaire's voice was thin. Compared to a crooner like Crosby or other popular singers of the day, there just wasn't much there. Astaire made up for it with phrasing, timing, and a casual style that seemed all the more remarkable when you realized it was coming from a man repeatedly spinning and tapping his way around a ballroom (yes, I know, the magic of playback).
Steve Schwartz argues that it was Astaire who defined what the American male pop vocalist would sound like. Early 20th century tenors who were popular had to fill concert halls and vaudeville houses. Astaire learned to sing this way, but the advent of recording technology changed his style. He discovered that you don't have to belt into the microphone... and you could sound like an ordinary guy. He put that to great use in his movies, adding to the ease and grace he could portray in his dancing. The crooning of Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet, Mel Torme-- they take their style from Astaire. As a vocalist, Astaire isn't quite in their class, but what he does with what he's got is charming.
It helps that the greatest songwriters of the century were writing for him: Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Johnny Mercer. Fred Astaire was fortunate in getting to introduce some of the great standards of the American Popular Songbook, such as "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "Isn't It a Lovely Day," "A Fine Romance," "Night and Day," "I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket," "The Way You Look Tonight," "They Can't Take that Away from Me," "Nice Work If You Can Get It" and "Change Partners."
Sources:
Astaire, Fred. In Hollywood. Avid Music CD AMSC570, 1996.
Corliss, Richard. "That Old Feeling: A Stellar Astaire." Time.com. 22 June 2002. <http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,265339,00.html> (1 January 2012)
Kelsey, Chirs. "Fred Astaire." All Music Guide. <http://www.allmusic.com/artist/fred-astaire-mn0000796317> (1 July 2012)
Schwartz, Steve. "Steppin' Out." ClassicalNet. 1996. <http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/v/vrv23006a.html> (3 January 2002)