Remember the late David Cassidy
Being a TV reporter has some strange perks. I once had a judge kick me out of jury duty (I knew too many of the lawyers and prosecutors), sometimes the nice ladies at Cumberland Farms give me free coffee and then there’s the celebrity thing. I don’t mean me. I’m not a celeb, I’m just Johnny from the block. I’m talking about the celebrities you get to meet doing the job. In the last couple of years I’ve interviewed actor Jim Beaver, singer Vanessa Carlton and I spent an afternoon hanging out with David Cassidy. That was especially strange since, like every kid born in the 60’s, I grew up watching The Partridge Family.
I didn’t meet David under the best circumstances. As you probably know he had a history of drinking and driving and repeatedly got himself into trouble because of it. How he didn’t kill himself or someone else is a small miracle. The summer I met him he was working off his “community service” sentence for a drunk driving conviction in the Capital Region. Cassidy was around here because he was a big fan of horse racing.
I was the only reporter to meet Cassidy that day because someone close to him reached out to me and only me. The woman said she thought it would be good to show a softer, kinder side to David and she thought I’d be fair. I told her I’d only do the interview and following him around if I could ask whatever I wanted. She said that would be fine and the meeting was set.
Something odd happened that day, at least for me. I didn’t see the teen idol I grew up watching, I found a much older broken man who looked like someone who’d been drinking all those years. When you abuse your body it takes a toll and it was clear Cassidy had navigated a rough road since he hung out with Danny and Lauri Partridge in that colorful bus. I went there with some hard questions to ask about the drinking and irresponsibility but something told me to hold my tongue and just watch him for a while. What I saw next surprised me.
The big star was dropped off at a low income trailer park and was immediately rushed by hungry children who had no clue who he was. He handed out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and juice boxes and goofed around and laughed with the kids. There was no entourage or handlers, he was completely alone and some of the innocence I suspect used to be there in his life returned for an hour or two. I put away my knives and decided to just report what I saw which was Cassidy fulfilling his obligation to the court and making kids laugh.
I shared the story on social media later that night and people were savage. The hate dripped off the page as people talked about special treatment and how much they wished he was in jail. I could only say the truth which was, “This is what the court ordered him to do and he did it. I’m not sure what else you want from me.” Part of me wondered why he wasn’t sitting in a jail cell instead of a trailer park serving lunch but I leave the ultimate judgement to a higher court.
David Cassidy died the other day and it left me a bit sad. Not because of what he used to be or even became but what I think he was trying to be the day I met him; a better person. I don’t know if he ever found peace but he told me that day in Malta was one of the best ones he had in a very long time. That was two years ago and I’m not sure how many more good days he had left in him.
It’s interesting. As we got more comfortable with each other that day I talked to him about his daughter Katie and her acting career. He lit up like a father does when his child is doing well. I then pivoted to his acting career and I couldn’t resist bringing up The Partridge Family. I said, “Do you know my favorite episode with you? In it you are being chased by your crazy fans down a city street and you duck into a clothing store and meet a young woman working there. She has no clue who you are and doesn’t treat you like a star. Your character liked that.” Cassidy smiled and said, “Kind of like these kids today.” We didn’t talk much after that but I think we were both thinking the same thing. Being famous isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and had he found a nice girl like that one in the shop a long time ago things may have turned out different.
In the end we shook hands and he drove away a happy man, if only for a day. I thought for a moment I saw Keith Partridge look back through the window and wave goodbye.