Adele Astaire
The dazzling, charismatic elder sister who was the original star of the Astaire duo, captivating Broadway before her brother became a film legend.
1896–1981 (age 85)·American dancer and entertainer·Birthday: September 10·The Lost Generation
Biography
Adele Astaire was the older sister by two and a half years and the first Astaire to command a Broadway stage. She and Fred started as a child vaudeville act, but Adele was the magnetic center—her impish charm and comic spark drew audiences and headlines. Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, the pair starred in hit Gershwin musicals including 'Lady, Be Good!' and 'Funny Face.' Critics and crowds adored her for the laughs she delivered. In 1932, at the peak of her fame, she retired to marry British aristocrat Lord Charles Cavendish. Her departure pushed Fred to Hollywood, where he reinvented himself with new partners. Adele's own stardom made her brother's career possible.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Adele was born in 1896, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Adele Was Born
The biggest hits of 1896
Adele's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1896Born
First modern Olympic Games held in Athens
President: Grover Cleveland
1901Started school
Queen Victoria dies, ending the Victorian era
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1909Became a teenager
Robert Peary claims to reach the North Pole
President: William Howard Taft
1912Could drive
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1914Could vote
World War I begins
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Turned 21
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Turned 30
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1936Turned 40
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 50
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 60
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 70
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 80
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Died at 85
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
Key Achievements
- Starred alongside her brother Fred in a series of successful Broadway musicals, including three with scores by George and Ira Gershwin.
- Her performance in the 1931 musical 'The Band Wagon' was a major critical and commercial success, solidifying her as a top Broadway star.
- Successfully transitioned from child vaudeville performer to leading lady of the Broadway stage.
- Her retirement from performance was a major cultural event, covered extensively by newspapers on both sides of the Atlantic.
Did You Know?
She married Lord Charles Cavendish, the second son of the Duke of Devonshire, and became Lady Cavendish.
Fred Astaire himself said his sister had the greater natural talent and was the true star of their early act.
She lived for many years in Lismore Castle in Ireland after her marriage.
Her retirement party in New York was attended by hundreds of celebrities from stage and society.
“The audience must see the work, not the sweat.”
