Dirty Dancing is arguably one of the most iconic films of heatworld's lifetime. Admit it, we all had a secret teenage fantasy that we'd meet a Johnny Castle character who'd teach us to dance and then fall madly in love with us. We've lost count of the number of times we've wished we were in Jennifer Grey's shoes when she got to dirty dance with Patrick Swayze, and it would appear she was every bit as smitten as we were. Her tribute is poignant and moving and will leave you with a tear in your eye. "When I think of him," the Dirty Dancing actress says. "I think of being in his arms when we were kids, dancing, practicing the lift in the freezing lake, having a blast doing this tiny little movie we thought no one would ever see. He was a real cowboy with a tender heart, and was so fearless doing his own stunts that it was not surprising to me that the war he waged on his cancer was so courageous and dignified. Patrick was a rare and beautiful combination of raw masculinity and amazing grace. My heart goes out to his wife and childhood sweetheart, Lisa Niemi, to his mom, Patsy, and to the rest of their family." The man who choreographed Dirty Dancing, Kenny Ortega, said of the star, "Patrick was one of the most creative, enjoyable and alive people I knew. He did as much for dancing as any man of our generation. Patrick loved life, and had such an enthusiasm for everything he did. If he could climb it, he climbed it. If he could write it, he wrote it. If he could dance it, well, we all know he did. He was a loving and soulful man. The planet has lost a big heart." Stay with heatworld for galleries of the star, and some of the most iconic moments of his movie career.
Tributes flood in for Swayze