Why millions of us fell hopelessly in love with David Cassidy
DAVID’S LIFE OF SUFFERING & FAME
THEY fell asleep hugging pillows bearing ironed-on transfers of his face as his hazel eyes gazed down from bedroom posters. The Partridge Family pop star David Cassidy was the dungaree-clad heart-throb to millions of girls.
At the height of “Cassidymania” in the 1970s he was the world’s highest paid live performer and had more fans than The Beatles or Elvis Presley.
But the singer, who has died aged 67, was never comfortable as a sugary, teen idol, and spent his life trying to reinvent himself as a serious singer and actor.
“I am grateful because without the fans I might be pumping gas,” he once said. “But I had no life. As a human being I was quite emotionally stunted.
“I never sought the fame and I was always trying to hide from it.”
Tragically, that led to a long struggle with drugs and alcoholism, followed by bankruptcy, brushes with the law and being ordered into rehabilitation.
This year David also revealed he had dementia – a condition he had dreaded after it claimed the lives of his mother and grandfather.
The three-times married star was rushed to hospital near his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last week after suffering liver and kidney failure.
He was placed in a coma but no suitable liver donor could be found.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, our uncle, and our dear brother, David Cassidy,” his family said in a statement.
“David died surrounded by those he loved, with joy in his heart and free from the pain that had gripped him for so long. Thank you for the abundance and support you have shown him.”
He was born into a showbiz family in New York in 1950. Dad Jack was a singer and actor and mum Evelyn Ward was an actress. David was raised by his maternal grandparents while his parents toured.
Aged six, he was devastated to learn from a neighbour’s children that his parents had divorced two years earlier.
His dad married Shirley Jones, who would become David’s onscreen mother in the musical sitcom that made his name, and lived with them in California.
He grew close to Shirley, but struggled to gain his dad’s approval – especially when he became more famous. “I loved him and admired him,” David said, “but I just couldn’t find a way for it to be OK with him.”
When his father died in a fire in 1976 they had not spoken for nine months.
After a Broadway flop and small TV parts, David was cast in a new 1970 show as Keith Partridge, the eldest of five children of a widowed mother who form a singing group.
It was the era for singing families – such as the Jacksons and The Osmonds – and the show was a hit. So were the records. The Partridge Family’s first single, I Think I Love You, topped the US charts, and 10 hit albums followed during the show’s four years on air.
His solo career went stratospheric, with hits Cherish, How Can I Be Sure and Daydreamer winning legions of fans.
In 1972 Rolling Stone magazine wrote: “In two years, David Cassidy has swept hurricane-like into the pre-pubescent lives of millions of American girls.”
He was earning $50,000 a night and taking the UK by storm too. In one week
in 1973 he did six sell-out shows at Wembley Stadium.
In 1974 tragedy struck when fans stampeded at White City Stadium in London. More than 600 were hurt, and Bernadette Whelan, 14, died in hospital.
David said the tragedy would “haunt” him until he died. He quit The Partridge Family and set about reinventing himself as a serious singer-songwriter and actor. In 1977 he wed actress Kay Lenz but they divorced four years later.
A second marriage to horse breeder Meryl Tanz was short-lived and in 1986 he had daughter Katie with Sherry Williams. This year he revealed he was estranged from his first child.
He wed songwriter Sue Shifrin in 1991, and they had son Beau, now 26, but she filed for divorce in 2014.
In a 2007 book he admitted using booze to “numb” himself. “I was sitting at home drinking wine on my own till 4am,” he said.
Arrests for drink-driving and traffic offences followed, including one in New York when he asked arresting officer Tom Jones: “What’s new pussycat?” With his finances in ruins he filed for bankruptcy and his mansion was auctioned off. It led to a bizarre appearance in 2015 on This Morning via satellite link with Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford. Looking worse for drink, he demanded: “Are you trying to rubbish me?” In March, after falling on stage, David revealed he had dementia, saying: “I want to love. I want to enjoy life.” Tributes from the world of music have poured in since he died on Sunday with his ex-wife Shifrin, son Beau and brother Patrick beside him. Gloria Gaynor said he “brought music and laughter into the homes of millions”. Sadly, while others saw him as a perfect pop star, David Cassidy could not.