Teen idol Cassidy dies
‘PARTRIDGE FAMILY’ HEARTTHROB WAS 67
DAVID CASSIDY, the silky haired heartthrob and star of the ’70s sitcom “The Partridge Family,” died Tuesday of complications from dementia and multiple organ failure. He was 67.
Cassidy shot to fame as Keith Partridge, the eldest son on the family show that was loosely based on a real-life musical family.
With his clean-cut features, sparkling eyes and mane of dark, feathery hair, Cassidy became a teen idol to millions and soldout concerts around the country with the No. 1 hit, “I Think I love You.”
His family on Tuesday thanked his fans for supporting him so many years.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, our uncle, and our dear brother, David Cassidy. David died surrounded by those he loved, with joy in his heart and free from the pain that had gripped him for so long,” the family said.
Cassidy died at the Florida hospital where he was admitted Wednesday. He was in critical condition as his kidneys and liver gave out and was in need of a kidney transplant.
He was placed into a medically induced coma to manage his pain when he entered the hospital and on Sunday was moved to intensive care.
Cassidy, born in New York and raised in New Jersey, moved to Los Angeles in 1969 after appearing in a Broadway play that shuttered after four performances.
He was cast in the role of Keith in ABC’s “The Partridge Family,” which aired from 1970-1974.
During his stint on the show, the singer and the fictional Partridges released a number of hit songs, which along with Cassidy’s signature tune included “Come on Get Happy!”
During his heyday, Cassidy amassed a fan base that rivaled that of Elvis Presley and the Beatles. His success was so massive it was dubbed “Cassidymania.”
He released seven albums during his peak in the ’70s, including “Cherish” and “Rock Me Baby.”
Cassidy was also famously featured naked on the cover of a carefully cropped “Rolling Stone” magazine in 1972. By the mid’70s, Cassidy grew tired of his image as the wholesome prince of bubblegum pop. When a fan was killed in a crush at one of his London concerts, he quit “The Partridge Family” in 1974 and retired from touring.
He enjoyed a short-lived television career, but spent much of the 1980s broke and trying to recapture the magic of his youth.
Cassidy relaunched his music career in the ’90s, and had a Top 40 hit with “Lyin’ to Myself” in 1990.
Throughout his life, Cassidy struggled with alcohol abuse that resulted in drunken-driving charges in 2010, 2013 and 2014 and a stint in rehab. He filed for bankruptcy in 2015.
Earlier this year, Cassidy stumbled off a stage while slurring his words at a California concert and later attributed the fall to dementia — a disease that also afflicted his mother and grandfather.
“A part of me always knew this was coming,” Cassidy told People.
He is survived by his 26-yearold son Beau, 30-year-old daughter Katie and three brothers: Shaun, 59, Ryan, 51, and Patrick, 55. Cassidy also has three exwives, Sue Shifrin, Meryl Tanz and Kay Lenz.