As estimated she makes around $50,000 per annum through her all of the involvements. Fred Astaire had passed on a chunk to his two children because he wasn't expecting to marry again so long after the death of his first wife, Phyllis, in 1954. [16] On October 3, 1975, Smith became the first female jockey to win three races in one afternoon at a major New York track. Two Things: Victim's family not surprised by no show; hospital wars in Greensboro and money well spent, Unexplained footsteps haunt new owner as he readies new Lawson Family Murders exhibit at Madison Dry Goods, Jaydon Young's lessons of sacrifice mix with two-hour transfer, Virginia Tech and 2023 tournament, 'A bizarre case': Greensboro TikTok star found not guilty in fatal 2019 crash, Former Page High School teacher arrested on child sex charges, records show, Proposed rules for Airbnb, other short-term rentals advance in Greensboro, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist proposes community hospital in Greensboro, Police: Greensboro woman, 55, dies after being struck in hit-and-run Thursday night. Publicity Listings Since then, Robyn Astaire has notr remarried and works tirelessly to protect the legacy of her husband. Ever. . Furthermore, she is recognized for 247 winning in California. Donations may be made to: D.E.S.K. Although Astaire wants to control all uses of film clips, her battle may finally have backfired. She finally got her break when the owner of the horse Exotic Bird agreed to let her race at the prestigious Aqueduct track in Queens on December 5, 1969. She became a regular rider for him. The retired jockey was born on 14 August 1944 in San Francisco, California, US. ASTAIRE'S WIDOW DEFENDS HANDLING OF IMAGE\ ROBYN ASTAIRE HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF MISMANAGING HER HUSBAND'S LEGEND. Fred danced up until a couple of weeks before he died. NAUGATUCK Robyn R. Smith, age 57, passed away at her home in Naugatuck on Monday, Nov. 28, 2022. Fred entered show business at age 5. By his twelfth birthday, Smith, Lillian ``And neither Fred nor I contemplated having to sustain the burden of nine or 10 years of costly litigation. During their seven-year marriage, Fred Astaire often told his wife, Robyn: "People have taken advantage of me all my life. "Thank God it was dark those mornings and nobody really saw what I looked like on a horse," said Smith. She told Astaire not to bet on her horse, Exciting Divorcee, because the filly was the longest shot on the board. Robyn Smith married to Fred Astaire on 1980 and divorce on 1987. He was such an exciting person to be around that we didn't have to do a lot. Also, the jockey owns a beautiful and luxurious home in California. And Astairenee Robyn Smithwas on her way to that lofty goal. https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/smith-robyn-1942, "Smith, Robyn (1942) But wed had seven years of bliss. Fred Astaire's second marriage would last up until Astaire's death in 1987 from pneumonia. If I don't win, I get very depressed. He completed the movie, though, but it seemed like at that point, Fred Astaire would remain a widower for the remainder of his life. Married until he died on 6-22-1987. She was described as obsessive about her work, often tactless and strung so tightly that the least irritation would set her crying. Smith was placed for adoption by the Oregon Protective Society in the home of prosperous lumberman Orville L. Smith and his wife. Everyone who knew Rob loved Rob. Indeed, Astaire's widow, Robyn, has found herself embroiled in controversy over the way she has handled guardianship of his image.In the 10 years since Fred Astaire's death, the storybook romance between the world's greatest hoofer and the first great female jockey, 46 years his junior, has produced a dark epilogue. She says little about her childhood, although what she does say may speak volumes about the sometimes brittle way she presents herself to the world. . But I think Fred trusted Robyn to safeguard his image. Mr. Refer to each styles convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. A cultural icon's place in the public's heart is much like a politician's: He belongs to everyone and everyone acts as though they've elected him to Olympus. Within the Cite this article tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. Fred said he didnt want to live with all that anxiety. She no longer rides, even recreationally (Thats like driving an old VW after youve been used to roaring around in a Maserati). Better ask Robyn first", "Astaire's Widow is a Loser in Legal Battle to Control His Image", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robyn_Smith&oldid=1073300310, This page was last edited on 22 February 2022, at 01:25. It's just that I'm very unusual in that way. Haney, Lynn. Ive had my man., She has made herself the keeper of the flame, trying to sort out the exploitive uses of his name and work from the genuine honors that Astaire might, however reluctantly, have concurred in. Encyclopedias almanacs transcripts and maps, Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Last June, he developed pneumonia. Is Robyn Astaire the greedy ogre her critics contend, condemning her husband's image to obscurity in her misguided craving for money? I think they're well done and people love them.'. I got a kick out of it.. Fred Astaire and wife Robyn Smith married 6-24-1980. "I had never seen a Fred Astaire picture that I can remember," she admitted. Movies. Robyn Smith's passing at the age of 57 on Monday, November 28, 2022 has been publicly announced by Fitzgerald-Zembruski Funeral Home in Naugatuck, CT. ``Word's out: Don't even think of using Astaire without permission.'. [14], After starting her 1973 racing season with a spill atop Faithville Ruler at Santa Anita Park, [15] on March 1, 1973, Smith became the first female jockey to win a stakes race, winning the $27,450 Paumonok Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack on the back of North Sea. Meanwhile, the jury is still out on the access Fred Astaire will have to future audiences. Sign up for our newsletter to keep reading. "I was sold when I was a baby and went through a lot of foster homes," she says, quickly turning a stoic cheek, "but if I had a choice of having a wonderful adulthood as opposed to a wonderful childhood, I'd take the adulthood. And even though she received her jockey's license in 1969track officials felt a female jockey would attract spectatorsSmith quickly discovered that gender prejudice in the male-dominated arena of horseracing would hinder her entry into the races, even after she proved herself. Smiths father, John, was a village blacksmith; but his grandparents and great-grandparents were small farmers in Oxfor, Dean Smith Her biological father deserted her and her mother at her birth. Women resent this for some reason. I'm not a great dancer, but anyone who dances with Fred becomes a great dancer.". [27], Last edited on 22 February 2022, at 01:25, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, "Robyn Smith Finishes Second at Golden Gate", "Robyn Smith Gets First Victory at New York Track", "This Fledgling Robyn Yearns to Be Among the First at Aqueduct This Spring", "A. G. Vanderbilt a Friend indeed to a Working Girl", "Another Vanderbilt Break-up, and a Pretty Robyn Bobs Onto the Scene", "Ramblin Robyn and Robin Smith a Rip-Roaring Combination", "It's Easier in the Television Commercial", "Robyn Smith Dances to Different Music; Continuing Her Career Surprises at Saratoga", "Robyn Smith, Trailblazing Jockey July 31, 1972", "Astaire's Last Partner Copes With Life After Fred", "The American Way . That's also the only time Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire are known to kiss on screen. Astaire's business representative, Thomas A. "Smith, Robyn (1942) I used to tease Fred later. They were married June 24, 1980, when he was 81 and she was 35. put money on her horse, Exciting Devorcee, and Smith assured him. Meanwhile, Robyn Astaire's pricey demands for the use of Fred Astaire's clips held up the 1994 MGM film anthology ``That's Entertainment! What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? Daughter of Fred Astaire and Phyllis Livingston Potter. Fred Astaire, an American legend, has died. I have real friends. Fred picked the 24th. She enjoyed spending time with friends, Broadway plays, going out to dinner, volunteering, gardening, the beach, working out and concerts, especially The Grateful Dead. CONTENT. It satisfies me mentally. it was a bad idea. She was there for some time. But the fund-raiser was successful and it was a cause--film preservation--that Astaire would probably have endorsed. Wilson, 1976. "She weighed nine pounds, six ounces. Fred danced up until a couple of weeks before he died. And it sounds sadder than it really is, but it was really hard for a while.". For the past year, Mrs. Astaire has devoted herself to preserving her husband's rich legacy, but she realizes she will need to start a life of her own. The court said such videos were covered under the state's exemptions from an estate's control. Can you believe it? she asks. And he'd go, Baby!' I'd say, You fell in love with me when you won that bet,' because he loved to win a bet.". I just love to win. This fabled orchid breeder loves to chat just not about Trader Joes orchids, Review: Operation Fortune: Ruse de guerre is classic Guy Ritchie and not in a good way, Review: The teen drama Palm Trees and Power Lines tells a searing story of abuse, Review: The documentary Ithaka attempts a difficult defense of Julian Assange, Jonathan Majors dubs Michael B. Jordan Michael B. Handsome at Walk of Fame ceremony, Review: Natural beauty and a touching ecological tale center the female-forward Blueback. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 1996. Robyn Smith was born Constance Ann Miller. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. It became a landmark case in the state of Oregon. Freds daughter, Ava Astaire McKenzie, and sister, Adele, chose not to attend. The furor was ignited when she prevented the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington from using Fred Astaire clips for its televised tribute to Ginger Rogers in 1992 - the same honor Astaire himself had received in 1978. Robyn was currently an outstanding and dedicated public defender for the New Haven Court GA23. In 1980, he married Robyn Smith. "Besides, Fred wanted me to get out of the (racing) business because it was very dangerous. And they danced. And they danced. [2] She told Sports Illustrated in her 1972 cover profile that she was born in San Francisco, California on August 14, 1944, but the journal could find no birth record of a Robyn Caroline Smith for several years around that time. The happy marriage of Fred and Phyllis Astaire was not to last. Robyn Astaire 's birthday is 08/14/1944 and is 78 years old. She invited Astaire to dinner. After retirement, she is reported to join aviation as a pilot. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. I mean, it just really hit me.". I'm going to be highly successful, so there'll be a much more interesting life for them to write about 10 years from now. 2019Encyclopedia.com | All rights reserved. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. [3] Claims that she had attended Stanford University as an English major, and that she was under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer were similarly debunked. Her biological father deserted her and her mother at her birth. By anyone, Astaire says. I dont think Ill ever get married. That left horses, the weather and whatever immediate project he was involved with, like Ghost Story, his last feature, in 1981. According to Biography, the couple met at a golf luncheon and married in 1933, coincidentally, the very same year he paired with Rogers, per Britannica. One day, when it got lighter in the morning, he said, 'Gee, you don't gallop real good, do you?'. How could he bet against his friends horse? Robyn Astaire asks. The men jockeys have treated me terrific, but then, all my friends have always been men. [8], Smith's early victories in New York and California were seen as an inspiration to future woman riders. By the mid-`50s, however, that was no longer the case. During this period, according to Smith, she dated a man who had a horse under the tutelage of Bruce Headley, a trainer at Santa Anita. Brown, Fern G. Racing Against the Odds: Robyn C. Smith. "I'd say, Darling, tap dance for me,' because we had this marble entrance to our home and it sounded so great and, God, I loved it. My mother used to resent this. I'm not out to prove anything. [22] At the time of their marriage, Astaire was 81 and Smith was 35. III,' according to sources close to the production. ", That has been Mrs. Astaire's consuming mission since the dancing actor's death a year ago. She often preferred the company of horses to people. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Fred never got used to the nudity and the swearing and the violence but he admired the acting.. Some documentarians say they may be emboldened by the ruling, which they say may give them more legal clout in using Fred Astaire's image without paying high fees. [9] In 1973, leading up to the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match, Smith challenged Bobby Riggs to a horse race, while joking that he would turn down the challenge because "He doesn't want to get himself killed. I just got in bed with him and put my arms around him and he died in my arms, and that's the way he wanted it, said Mrs. Astaire, the former racehorse jockey Robyn Smith, whom he married in 1980. Ah, I should just forget about it and go shopping or something. Astaire asked whether he should. Vanderbilt said, Look over there and waved to his friend Fred Astaire, she recalls. But Smith had kept in touch with the Orville Smith family; after completing school she avoided her own family (she would eventually cease contact with her mother and siblings) and moved to Seattle to be with the Smiths, beginning to call herself Caroline Smith. The crowd went nuts. 'You don't know too much about working a horse, do you?' I was really in love. All those parties in Hollywood, I liked them well enough, I just had enough of that. NY: Dodd, Mead, 1973. It was like bzzzzzzzz. So did Astaire, who had ignored Smiths warning and bet on her anyway. I like to be around the animal that won for me because that means a lot to me, she told the magazine. Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. " he later told the Chicago Tribune. Encyclopedia.com. But it endured. "The Wall Street Journal just so happened to have a supportive op-ed ready to publish within hours of the meeting. Companies have tried to merchandise Fred Astaire lines of tuxedos, jewelry and cologne. He started losing weight, and that alarmed her. The Lady is a Jock. She even had him watch his own movies at home. According to Biography, Robyn Smith was 45 years younger than Fred Astaire when they met and got married, and the couple enjoyed golf and watching movies together. Emily Kohrs: A fitting spokeswoman for the grand-jury system, Bidens response to Ohio disaster was predictable, Independent grocery chains feel big bite of inflation, Publication of legal notices back on the docket. She has a lavish lifestyle. He made his classic musicals while under contract to studios. Robyn was the widow of Terry W.. She invited Astaire to dinner. Her tough situation and early struggles made her to be a noted personality. But not all suitors to the throne want to sell vacuum cleaners. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. But the next year, she was on the road to replacing one charming hoofer with another. She moved to Arcadia near Santa Anita in late 1978, and she and Astaire courted for the next year and a half. . I admitted I didn't, but he stuck with me and I gradually learned what I was doing.". He was a very intelligent man who knew exactly what he was doing, who was highly selective in the woman he chose to marry.'. Robyn picked June. All of a sudden when he reached 86 he started to get weaker and weaker. Official Sites. Four years later, she made the cover of Sports Illustrated as the first great female jockey in a difficult, dangerous profession, no National Velvet [but] pure and simple Horatio Alger.. His presence there was kept secret until his death on June 22. She graduated from Clarkson University and went on to graduate from the University of Bridgeport School of Law. The marriage astonished Hollywood and appalled Fred's sister, Adele, and daughter, Ava. According to the funeral home, the. "It was a very painful delivery," said Miller. In our time, once in a while he would say, Oh, I hate that! with a little accent, like his father had, and it was funny., Astaire died of pneumonia, rather swiftly and without a lingering decline. That was fine with me. The decision of whether or not to award her the license was dependent upon Al Shelhamer, who had not seen Smith ride in person and would have to consult film of her first two Golden Gate races. On Jan. 1, 1973, at Santa Anita, Smith was preparing for her. She will also be missed by her cats, fish and predeceased Newfoundland dogs. Copyright 2021, All Right Reserved MARRIEDCELEB. "Without getting maudlin, I'd never been loved in my life before. Four years later, Robyn, who was living near the Belmont Park racetrack on Long Island, N.Y., reluctantly took a few days off from racing to film a commercial for Shasta soft drinks in Los Angeles. Fred is out there to stay. A federal appeals court recently ruled that a company that makes instructional dance videos didn't need Astaire's OK to use movie clips for its Fred Astaire Dance School series. 22 Feb. 2023 . Besides, it's just that I don't care if I'm seen. If money were the only carrot in the deal, Astaire has had ample opportunities to cash in on her husband's image that she's rejected. ." His burial was private and the terms of his will have never been made public. Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. By then, she was living with five other foster girls in the home of Frank and Hazel Kucero. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro, The 36th Annual Golden Globe Awards 1979 premiere. Retrieved February 22, 2023 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/smith-robyn-1942. (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). [6] Her license was granted, and in her first race as a licensed jockey, Smith and Swift Yorky finished in ninth place at Golden Gate Fields on April 16, 1969. I never realized what I had missed. So did Astaire, who had ignored Smith's warning and bet on her anyway. She has a weight of around 50 kg. Sunshine, daydream, walking in the tall trees, going where the wind blows, Blooming like a red roseSugar Magnolia. And nightly after dinner, they exited the dining room in a comic tango that convulsed the servants. It is unchanged, as is she; daily running keeps her 5-foot-7 frame at 106 pounds. "We. What hypocrisy!" Daughter of Calvin and Anne Simpson Smith Born Melody Dawn Miller in San Francisco, California, on August 14, 1942; daughter of Constance Miller; married Fred Astaire (the actor and dancer), in 1980 (died 1987). A law now exists that protects the name and image of the famous deceased. Younger sister of Fred Astaire Jr.. Niece of Adele Astaire. Fred Astaire's second marriage would last up until Astaire's death in 1987 from pneumonia. Full NameRobyn Smith Astaire Net Wortharound $2 million US Date of Birth14 August, 1944 NicknameRobyn Smith Marital Status Widow Birthplacefrom San Francisco, California, the US Ethnicity White ProfessionRetired Jockey Nationality American Active Year1969-1980 Eye colour Hazel Hair colour Brown SpouseFred Astaire (m. 1980; died 1987) She has earned major of her income from her involvement in jockey. I resented it because I know her father would have resented it, she says. Astaire says she was born in San Francisco and spent much of her youth in Los Angeles. She told Variety that she was returning her own Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner to the company, ``saddened that after (Fred's) wonderful career, he was sold to the devil' - the Dirt Devil. 69-year-old suffers stroke in his home; Realtor showing house leaves him there. Actor, writer, director Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. Astaire was in perfect health until the last six months of his life, she said. Robyn stands at the height of 5 feet 7 inches. But if it does, so be it., Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, The Scream 6 publicity stunts hit closer to home, prompting 911 calls in Sonoma, Review: Andrea Riseborough and campy Please Baby Please deconstruct gender and the 1950s, Bruce Willis steps out with friends after announcement of dementia diagnosis, Gayle King surprises Angela Bassett with her Whats Love Got to Do With It dress, Desperate mountain residents trapped by snow beg for help; We are coming, sheriff says, Hidden, illegal casinos are booming in L.A., with organized crime reaping big profits, Look up: The 32 most spectacular ceilings in Los Angeles. Her mother was declared mentally unstable and Melody was placed in a foster home. The couple had a short journey together and were compelled to separate due to god's plan. At 5' 7", she was taller and heavier than most jockeys. She was born in Waterbury on April 7, 1965, daughter of the late Robert A. and Shirlee (Rentz). Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Furthermore, she is recognized for 247 winning in California. Heres how its spending your money, Parents know best: Rep. Burgess Owens wants to fund school choice at national level, 2023 Sterling Scholars semifinalists: Southwest Region, 2023 Sterling Scholars semifinalists: Northeast Region. She retired from racing in 1980. ", Adulthood is where Robyn Astaire's known history officially begins. Previously city included Los Angeles CA. In 1968, she was broke and knocking on barn doors at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, asking for a chance to exercise horses in the male preserve of horse racing. "We'd do this, da-duh, da-duh, da-duh-duh-uuh-boom. Smith is largely evasive about the details of her early life. Won her first career race at Ferndale on August 2, 1969. He's too special to the world. I just want to ride. Elizabeth Shostak , freelance writer, Cambridge, Massachusetts. So we had a wonderful dinner and we came back and played some pool -- he beat me -- and that was it. "How could he bet against his friend's horse?" Eighteen percent, and I don't have one ride. ``I'm embarrassed for my husband, too,' she says. Justice George Rossman ordered that Smith be returned to her mother and then placed in a foster home through Catholic Charities; his reasoning was that children should be put in homes of the same religious background. She remained married to Astaire until his death in 1987. Four years later, she made the cover of Sports Illustrated as the first great female jockey in a difficult, dangerous profession, "no National Velvet' (but) pure and simple Horatio Alger.". I have the master tape, and will be proud to post it in . Robyn was a lifelong resident of Naugatuck and a 1983 graduate of Naugatuck High School. [5] When Money Road finished last at the same track a week later, however, the decision to grant her an apprentice jockey license came into question. Robyn maintains relationships with many people -- family, friends, associates, & neighbors . Martin Ransohoff, then president of Filmways production company, told a reporter in 1972: "I believe if she had stayed in Hollywood big things could have happened for her.". Lawyers call it the 990 law, and thank heaven for it, she says. Like when she and my father would have people over, I'd hang around with the men. It was fate, absolutely; I know God put us together.. Name variations: Melody Dawn Miller; Caroline Smith; Robyn Caroline Smith; Robyn Astaire. That interview went to air on Channel 9 in 1990, and several times thereafter on Sky Channel. (He fought the AFI Life Achievement Award for years, but I said Youve got to give your friends a chance to say thank you for everything, and he was glad he did.). Maybe some people felt John Wayne is in a bar and the image fit, and there's a disconnect with Fred Astaire with a vacuum cleaner. Toward the end of his life he enjoyed watching the films, which he had never allowed himself to do.". She is an inspiration to all. "He died holding on to me.". It was going to be a display to sell jewelry. She was able to forestall that usage, she says. Since the time of her husband's death, Smith is living in the house in Beverly Hills, California with the memories of her beloved husband. ", Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. She tasted the "strange fruit", Smith, William Along with Waterbury, she leaves many colleagues who became dear friends. I was ready to quit anyway. Smith spent portions of the following years in and out of foster homes, and was again separated from her family during high school. | "I thought, A woman taking me out to dinner! [12], Smith appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated on July 31, 1972. EVEN MORE INTERESTINGLY, Robyn was the first female jockey to win a stakes race in 1973 and was less than half Astaire's age when they married in 1980. ", Says reporter and Fred Astaire biographer Bob Thomas: "I've had inklings that she was mistreated as a girl, but I don't know if the truth will ever really come out. Robyn C Smith, Robyn Smith Astaire, Robyn C Astaire, Robyn Astaure and Robyn S Astaire are some of the alias or nicknames that Robyn has used. Someone sent me a life-sized cut-out of Fred in tails, with holes where the studs and the cuff-links would go. Fred Astaire to me was a recognizable name, but I hated musicals growing up--I now love them, of course--so I waved, and Fred waved back. It was meant to be. Id say, Darling, tap dance for me, because we had this marble entrance to our home and it sounded so great and, God, I loved it. [3] In 1997, she told the Los Angeles Times that she was "sold" as an infant, and went through a series of foster homes. SMITH, Lillian ``They think maybe she was unreasonable in holding out her approval, but that's between her and them,' he says. "By the time we were married, Fred had done everything in his life - more than once," she related. I'm thin, but I'm strong. He was so cute. All Rights Reserved, LEGACY OF FRED ASTAIRE IN GOOD AND LOVING HANDS, The 2023 Utah Legislature has wrapped. I have no interest whatever in the women's movement except in the sense that I believe everybody should have the right to do what they want to do. But the next year, she was on the road to replacing one charming hoofer with another. She was 45 years his junior. But there still exists a shadowy area between the legitimate plaudits the world will be wanting to pay Fred Astaire for decades to come and the commercialization of his work. I couldnt get enough of it. [26], Following Astaire's 1987 death, Smith took up aviation, earning pilot certification in a series of airplanes and helicopters. He told People magazine: ``I'm behind Robyn 100 percent. Her mother was declared mentally unstable and Melody was placed in a foster home. On April 5, 1969, Smith rode in her first race at Golden Gate Park near San Francisco. Her mother was 17 when she was born. He's buried alongside his first wife, Phyllis, and his sister. All along, she has been vilified - a rare distinction for anyone so close to the pantheon of old Hollywood stars. ``I didn't change his work. And she says she was unhappy when McKenzie, who has been generally critical of her handling of Freds estate, complained to Variety about her allowing the use of Freds image in the Dirt Devil commercials. His second wife was Robyn Smith, a famous jockey. Astaire gave up racing because of Fred's concern for her safety, but she says their marriage was bliss. We just always had a lot of fun - I know that. I was sold when I was a baby and went through a lot of foster homes, she says, quickly turning a stoic cheek, but if I had a choice of having a wonderful adulthood as opposed to a wonderful childhood, Id take the adulthood., Says reporter and Fred Astaire biographer Bob Thomas: Ive had inklings that she was mistreated as a girl, but I dont know if the truth will ever really come out., Adulthood is where Robyn Astaires known history officially begins. "I'd never had a woman take me out to dinner. Its wonderful when people do, but I wont. Astaire says she is perplexed and dismayed by her public image. He was 88. It was magical and wonderful, and I had him for seven years, buried him on our anniversary. Try to see that it doesn't happen after I'm gone. When I said, `Oh, darling, it's so spectacular,' he'd say, `Oh, was it really good?' Robyn Astaire says she doesnt understand why McKenzie, who now lives in Ireland, chose not to get to know her.