Patrick Swayze Dies

August 18, 1952 - September 14, 2009

Sad to report, Patrick Swayze has lost his battle with cancer. Swayze died today at the age of 57. He will be remembered for many iconic roles throughout the 80's and 90's.

Top 10 Actors Turned Singers of the 80's

All actors want to be singers and all singers want to be actors. At least that's what they say and, it seems, quite a few of them give it a try. Some with excellent results and others disastrous.

Following are my Top 10 Actors Turned Singers of the 80's. My guidelines in making this list was, first they had to have notoriety as an actor before notoriety as a singer. Second, their notoriety for both had to come in the decade of the 80's. With that said, let's get to the list.

#10

Bruce Willis

bruce willis" respect yourself"
Uploaded by gourbyland. -

Although I wasn't a huge fan of the song, Bruce Willis didn't do too bad of a job, with the help of a Pointer Sister, in turning this cover into a top 5 hit in 1987.

#9

Gloria Loring

Although, Gloria Loring was singing before making it as an actor, it was her acting that first gained her large notoriety. Gloria played Liz Chandler on the soap opera Days of Our Lives.

In 1986 she paired with Carl Anderson for the #2 hit Friends and Lovers.

A bit of trivia about Loring. She co-wrote, composed (with ex-husband Alan Thicke) and sang the Diff'rent Strokes and Facts of Life theme songs. Also, the R&B singer Robin Thicke is her son with Alan Thicke.

#8

Don Johnson

Don Johnson capitalized on his Miami Vice fame by putting out this #5 hit single in 1986.

#7

Patrick Swayze

Patrick Swayze rode his Dirty Dancing fame all the way to #3 with this 1987 hit from the movie.

#6

Michael Damien

Damian used his acting gig on Young and the Restless, playing Danny Romalotti, as a launching pad for his singing career which included this #1 1989 hit Rock On from the Dream a Little Dream soundtrack.

#5

Eddie Murphy

It must be Eddie Murphy week or something. He was our actor of the week yesterday and here he is showing up on our Actors Turned Singers list at #5.

With a little help from Rick James, who wrote and produced this song, Murphy hit #2 on the charts in 1985 with this song.

#4

Jack Wagner

What's with these soap stars becoming singers? Jack Wagner, who played Frisco Jones on General Hospital, hit #2 with this early 1985 song.

#3

Kylie Minogue

Already a pretty big star in Australia for playing on the soap opera Neighbours, Kylie tried her hand at singing in the U.S. and hit it big with this song and Locomotion back in 1987. She has had even further and greater success in the 2000's with hits such as Can't Get You Outta My Head.

#2

Janet Jackson

For those who forgot, Janet played little Penny on Good Times and also had a role on Diff'rent Strokes. Her hits are way too many to list and besides everybody already knows how huge a star she is.

#1

Rick Springfield

Springfield played Dr. Noah Drake on the soap opera (yeah I know, another soap star) General Hospital. He hit it huge in 1981 with Jessie's Girl and never looked back.

Like Janet Jackson, he has too many hits too list. I know a lot of you may say Janet deserves to be #1, but my personal preference is Rick Springfield. He has a ton of hits in the 80's just go take a look at his discography and pick up his greatest hits and you won't regret it.

So ends another top 10 list. I hope you enjoyed. Agreed or disagreed? Leave it in the comments below.

I'll be typin' at ya later,

Bob the Blogger

Movie of the Week - The Outsiders (1983)

Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, C. Thomas Howell, Ralph Macchio, Diane Lane, Emilio Estevez and more. This movie was packed full of big time 80's stars, before they were stars.

Written by, S.E. Hinton, who also wrote Tex and Rumble Fish, which were both made into movies. Hinton grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She used her experiences in high school, where there was a real rivalry between two gangs called The Soc's and The Greasers.

The Soc's had everything and the Greasers had nothing. One hated the other for having everything they never could, while the other hated for having it thrown in their face all the time by the "cooler" misfits.

The movie is also a commentary on what happens to kids who are not cared for and have no authority to keep them in line. Parents are non-existent in the movie, not so much on purpose, but because most of their parents are not around. Dallas (Matt Dillon) and Johnny (Ralph Macchio) are pretty much on their own out there in the world. All they really have to rely upon are their fellow Greasers.

Darry (Patrick Swayze), Sodapop (Rob Lowe) and Ponyboy (C. Thomas Howell) are on their own because a tragic car crash has left them orphans. Darry, being the oldest, does his best to keep everything going, but he can't really keep a handle on his two younger brothers.

After a confrontation with the Soc's turns deadly, Johnny (Ralph Macchio) and Ponyboy are forced to go on the run. While gone Ponyboy and Johnny question the paths of their lives, which is only bolstered by heroic acts performed by the two plus Dallas (Matt Dillon), when an abandoned church is caught on fire with children inside.

The movie's ending is shocking, sad and hopeful all at the same time. It is definitely worth a rent whether you've never seen it or have seen it a dozen times before. This is a good movie for the whole family to watch and your kids should enjoy it every bit as much as you do.

I'll be typin' at ya later,

Bob the Blogger

Top 10 Cheesiest 80's Movie Quotes

Admittedly, this will not be the quintessential Cheesy 80's Movie Quote list. However, this list had to be made for one reason and one reason only. The #1 quote on this list was so God awfully, terribly cheesy it could have taken up spots 1 thru 10 all by itself. But, seeing that it would have been "cheesy" on my part to list the same quote 10 times, I had to find 9 others to go along with it.

So, without further ado, I give you my personal 10 Cheesiest 80's Movie Quotes. Enjoy!

#10

"Heeere's Johnny"

- Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson)

The Shining (1980)

Great and funny line, but cheesy in the context it was used in. Here was this horrifying movie with such creepy things as the little kid saying "Redrum...Redrum....Redrum" (Murder backwards), the sound of the tricycles wheels going from carpet to hard floor and back again, over and over, the creepy little girls and the creepy typing Jack was doing. Then the comedic line "Here's Johnny!!!" just felt out of place for me. Kinda cheesy.

#9

"I'm your density. I mean....your destiny."

-George McFly (Crispin Glover)

Back to the Future (1985)

I'm sorry, this is the only clip of this quote I could find. It cuts off abruptly at the end. I'm sure you've all seen and heard it before, though.

I think he had it right the 1st time. Actually this one was pretty funny. That being said, it was still cheesy, though.

#8

"I carried a watermelon."

-Baby (Jennifer Grey)

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Baby gets invited down to the "cool" party. When "Mr. Cool" himself (Patrick Swayze) asks what she's doing there, Baby has a brainfart and states the obvious. Proving how totally uncool she was.

I hope you can pick up my disdain for this horrible movie. Sorry to the Dirty Dancing fans, but this was one of the worst movies I've ever had the displeasure of walking out of. Although, I do understand it has it's place in 80's culture.

#7

"Why don't you make like a tree and get out of here"

- Biff Tannen (Thomas F. Wilson)

Back to the Future (1985)

I couldn't find the original line. But, thank God they came back in Back to the Future II and made "old" Biff smack "young" Biff upside the head for ever saying it in the first movie.

This line would have been cheesy even if he had said it the correct way. I understand they was trying to make Biff look stupid, but I felt stupid just because I heard him say it.

#6

"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."

-Jessica Rabbit (Kathleen Turner)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Great movie. A breakthrough in the special effects industry. Great acting by Bob Hoskins and Kathleen Turner. Cheesy, cheesy line.

Basically, Jessica Rabbit (Kathleen Turner) was telling Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) she couldn't help being a hussy, because it's the way she was drawn (or made). I'm gonna try using this excuse next time I get called out on doing something unbecoming. I'm not bad. God just made me this way. As good an excuse as any I guess.

#5

"No thanks, Dad. I already have a Mercedes."

-Les Anderson (Corey Haim)

License to Drive (1988)

I couldn't find a clip of the line being spoken, but I hope you enjoyed the trailer to the movie.

Basically, Les (Haim) has taken his grandfather's Caddy for a night of joy riding and completely demolished it. What Les didn't demolish was finished off by a steel beam that was dropped from a crane in front of the hospital Les has just driven his, in labor, mother to.

When Les' grandfather gets back with the family car it is revealed that it too has been totally demolished. Taking it in stride, his father tosses him the keys to the demolished family vehicle and tells him he can have the car. At this point Mercedes (Heather Graham) pulls up to pick Les up in her new car. Les tosses the keys back and says our #9 Cheesiest quote.

#4

"Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold."

-Johnny Cade (Ralph Macchio)

The Outsiders (1983)

I absolutely love this movie. The Outsiders was one of the better movies to come out of the 80's. It had tons of future stars jam packed in this teenage melodrama. Future stars like Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise, Emilio Estevez, Ralph Macchio, Diane Lane, Rob Lowe, Matt Dillon, C. Thomas Howell, Leif Garrett, Soffia Coppola and Tom Waits.

This idea of having 1950's Greasers quoting Robert Frost was kinda cheesy, though. Not that 1950's Greasers didn't eventually grow up to appreciate Frost, but I highly doubt any of them were walking around on the streets quoting Frost to each other. Loved the movie, but sometimes a bit cheesy.

#3

"You can be my wingman anytime."

-Lt. Tom "Iceman" Kazansky (Val Kilmer)

Top Gun (1986)

WARNING - There is one obscenity in this clip.

They hate each other through the entire film and now they each want the other to be their wingman. I hate to laugh, but....Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!

Besides, we all know Val Kilmer is exponentially cooler than Tom Cruise. Watching this now, I would have loved to have seen Kilmer say "I'm your Huckleberry" back to Cruise. That would have made this movie watchable.

#2

Maverick: "I feel the need..." Maverick and Goose together: "...the need for speed!"

-Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell and Lt. JG Nick "Goose" Bradshaw

Top Gun (1986)

Tom Cruise, back when people actually thought he was "cool". This line was as cheesy back then, to me, as it is today. Somebody find me some Ritz crackers!!! Fast!!!

#1

"Nobody puts baby in a corner"

-Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze)

Dirty Dancing (1987)

The worst line in cinematic history!!! And it's not even close. It's been rumored Swayze lobbied against this line being put in the film. Cheesier heads prevailed and the, now, infamous line was uttered and cheesy immortality was made.

Swayze should have threatened to walk if made to say such a stupid line. But, if he had then I couldn't have made this list up for you in the first place. I couldn't find a clip with just the line, so consider the dancing a gift to the ladies watching. Your welcome.

Well, there, we've come to the end of another list. I hope you are all dripping in cheese. Don't blame me, though, I'm just the messenger. Blame Hollywood. Blame the actors. Blame the writers. Blame the directors. Just, please, don't blame me.

I'll be typin' at ya later,

Bob the Blogger

Actor of the Week - Patrick Swayze

Patrick Swayze

Aug. 18 1952 -

Patrick was never one of my favorite actors, but he always seemed to be in pretty decent movies. He was huge with both guys and girls in the 80's. Girls liked his looks and guys liked the fact he could kick some butt.

Patrick's acting credits are speckled with big hits throughout the decade of the 80's. With only one acting credit in the 70's, his career pretty much began and exploded through the 80's.

He also started out the 90's in blockbuster fashion with the hit romance Ghost, co-starring Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. His career since has suffered. Although, he has continued to stay busy acting.

Sadly, Patrick was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January of 2008. In April of 2009 doctors informed Swayze the cancer had spread to his liver. Swayze has acknowledged his habit of heavy smoking probably contributed to the disease. Unfortunately he continues to smoke.

Following are a list of acting credits for Patrick Swayze in the 1980's:

The Comeback Kid (1980) (TV)

Mash (1981) (TV)

Return of the Rebels (1981) (TV)

The Renegades (1982) (TV)

The Outsiders (1983)

Uncommon Valor (1983)

Renegades (1983) (TV)

Pigs vs. Freaks (1984) (TV)

Grandview, USA (1984)

Red Dawn (1984)

North and South (1985) (TV)

Youngblood (1986)

North and South, Book II (1986) (TV)

Amazing Stories (1986) (TV)

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Steel Dawn (1987)

Tiger Warsaw (1988)

Road House (1989)

Next of Kin (1989)