David Cassidy, the teen and pre-teen idol who starred in the 1970s sitcom 害羞草研究所淭he Partridge Family害羞草研究所� and sold millions of records as the musical group害羞草研究所檚 lead singer, died Tuesday at age 67.
Cassidy, who announced earlier this year that he had been diagnosed with dementia, died surrounded by his family, a family statement released by publicist JoAnn Geffen said. No further details were immediately available, but Geffen said on Saturday that Cassidy was in a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, hospital suffering from organ failure.
害羞草研究所淒avid died surrounded by those he loved, with joy in his heart and free from the pain that had gripped him for so long,害羞草研究所� the statement said. 害羞草研究所淭hank you for the abundance and support you have shown him these many years.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淭he Partridge Family害羞草研究所� aired from 1970-74 and was a fictional variation of the 害羞草研究所�60s performers the Cowsills, intended at first as a vehicle for Shirley Jones, the Oscar-winning actress and Cassidy害羞草研究所檚 stepmother.
Jones played Shirley Partridge, a widow with five children with whom she forms a popular act that travels on a psychedelic bus.
The cast also featured Cassidy as eldest son and family heartthrob Keith Partridge; Susan Dey, later of 害羞草研究所淟.A. Law害羞草研究所� fame, as sibling Laurie Partridge and Danny Bonaduce as sibling Danny Partridge.
It was an era for singing families 害羞草研究所� the Osmonds, the Jacksons. 害羞草研究所淭he Partridge Family害羞草研究所� never cracked the top 10 in TV ratings, but the recordings under their name, mostly featuring Cassidy, Jones and session players, produced real-life musical hits and made Cassidy a real-life musical superstar.
The Partridges害羞草研究所� best known song, 害羞草研究所淚 Think I Love You,害羞草研究所� spent three weeks on top of the Billboard chart at a time when other hit singles included James Taylor害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淔ire and Rain害羞草研究所� and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭he Tears of a Clown.害羞草研究所�
The group also reached the top 10 with 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檒l Meet You Halfway害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淒oesn害羞草研究所檛 Somebody Want to be Wanted害羞草研究所� and Cassidy had a solo hit with 害羞草研究所淐herish.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚n two years, David Cassidy has swept hurricane-like into the pre-pubescent lives of millions of American girls,害羞草研究所� Rolling Stone magazine noted in 1972. 害羞草研究所淟eaving: six and a half million long-playing albums and singles; 44 television programs; David Cassidy lunch boxes; David Cassidy bubble gum; David Cassidy coloring books and David Cassidy pens; not to mention several millions of teen magazines, wall stickers, love beads, posters and photo albums.害羞草研究所�
Cassidy害羞草研究所檚 appeal faded after the show went off the air, although he continued to tour, record and act over the next 40 years, his albums including 害羞草研究所淩omance害羞草研究所� and the awkwardly titled 害羞草研究所淒idn害羞草研究所檛 You Used To Be?害羞草研究所�
He had a hit with 害羞草研究所淚 Write the Songs害羞草研究所� before Barry Manilow害羞草研究所檚 chart-topping version and success overseas with 害羞草研究所淭he Last Kiss,害羞草研究所� featuring backing vocals from Cassidy admirer George Michael. He made occasional stage and television appearances, including an Emmy-nominated performance on 害羞草研究所淧olice Story.害羞草研究所�
Meanwhile, 害羞草研究所淭he Partridge Family害羞草研究所� remained popular in re-runs and Cassidy, who kept his dark bangs and boyish appearance well into middle age, frequently turned up for reunions and spoke often about his early success.
害羞草研究所淪o many people come up to me and talk to me about the impact it (the show) had,害羞草研究所� he told Arsenio Hall in 1990.
Even while 害羞草研究所淭he Partridge Family害羞草研究所� was still in primetime, Cassidy worried that he was mistaken for the wholesome character he played.
He posed naked for Rolling Stone in 1972, when he confided that he had dropped acid as a teenager and smoked pot in front of the magazine害羞草研究所檚 reporter as he watched an episode of 害羞草研究所淭he Partridge Family害羞草研究所� and mocked his own acting.
Cassidy maintained an exhausting schedule during the show害羞草研究所檚 run, filming during the week and performing live shows over the weekend, but had plenty of time to indulge himself.
In the memoir 害羞草研究所淐ould It Be Forever,害羞草研究所� he wrote of his prolific sex life and of rejecting Dey害羞草研究所檚 advances because she lacked the 害羞草研究所渟lutty aspect of a female that I always found so attractive.害羞草研究所�
Cassidy would endure personal and financial troubles. He was married and divorced three times, battled alcoholism, was arrested for drunk driving and in 2015 filed for bankruptcy. Cassidy had two children, musician Beau Cassidy and actress Katie Cassidy, with whom he acknowledged having a distant relationship.
害羞草研究所淚 wasn害羞草研究所檛 her father. I was her biological father but I didn害羞草研究所檛 raise her,害羞草研究所� he told People magazine in 2017. 害羞草研究所淪he has a completely different life.害羞草研究所�
Cassidy himself was estranged from his father. Born in New York City in 1950, he was the son of actors Jack Cassidy and Evelyn Ward and half-brother of entertainer Shaun Cassidy. David Cassidy害羞草研究所檚 parents split up when he was five and he would long express regret about Jack Cassidy, who soon married Shirley Jones, being mostly absent from his life. David Cassidy stayed with his mother and by the early 1960s had moved to Los Angeles.
Kicked out of high school for truancy, David Cassidy dreamed of becoming an actor and had made appearances on 害羞草研究所淏onanza,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所滻ronside害羞草研究所� and other programs before producers at ABC television asked him to audition for 害羞草研究所淭he Partridge Family,害羞草研究所� unaware that he could sing and intending at first to have him mime songs to someone else害羞草研究所檚 voice.
Cassidy, who only learned during tryouts that Jones would play his mother, worried that Keith Partridge would be a 害羞草研究所渞eal comedown害羞草研究所� from his previous roles.
害羞草研究所淚 mean, how much could an actor do with a line like, 害羞草研究所楬i, Mom, I害羞草研究所檓 home from school,害羞草研究所� or 害羞草研究所楶lease pass the milk?害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he wrote in his memoir. 害羞草研究所淚 didn害羞草研究所檛 see how it could do much for me. After all, I wasn害羞草研究所檛 the star of it. Shirley had top billing; I was just one of the kids.害羞草研究所�
Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
