Posted by Adam

Thursday September 24, 2009

Dancing With The Stars aired a special tribute to the late Patrick Swayze during its episode Wednesday night.

They played a series of clips featuring Patrick and the actor’s face was projected on to the studio walls.

Patrick — known for his role in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing — died earlier this month after losing his battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 57.

The actor was a guest mentor on the first season of Dancing With The Stars in 2005.

In his new memoir, Swayze revealed that he was bullied at school because of his dancing.

“My mother Patsy, a choreographer and teacher with the determination of a pit bull, was one of the founders of Houston’s dance scene,” he wrote. “I was born in 1952, the second of five children and the eldest boy. All of us worked hard to win Mum’s approval in dance competitions.

“By junior high school, everybody knew I was a dancer. I was called ‘fag’ and beaten up, each time becoming more determined to get those boys back. But it wasn’t until five kids attacked me when I was 12 that Dad gave me the tools for revenge.

“I spent a couple of months learning martial arts and boxing, and when my father thought I was ready, he drove me to school, demanding I be allowed to fight the boys one by one. Times were different then. I won’t deny I was scared — not of getting hurt, but of letting Dad down. I beat all five boys that day and as each left bloody and bruised, I could see flickers of pride cross Dad’s face.

“If there’s one thing I learned from him, it’s that you might not always win, but you never give up. Since that day, I never have.”

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