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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 23 November 2017
David Cassidy: A rocking romancer to millions of young fans

By FRAZIER MOORE family heartthrob Keith Par- time, Cassidy worried that
AP Television Writer tridge; Susan Dey, later of he was being mistaken for
NEW YORK (AP) — David “L.A. Law” fame, as sibling the wholesome character
Cassidy could sell the heck Laurie Partridge and Danny he played. He posed na-
out of uncertainty. Bonaduce as sibling Danny ked for Rolling Stone in 1972,
“I Think I Love You,” the Partridge. when he confided that he
smash hit that in 1970 “The Partridge Family” had dropped acid as a
launched the Partridge never cracked the top 10 teenager and smoked pot
Family musical group plus in TV ratings, but the re- in front of the magazine’s
the ABC comedy-with- cordings under their name, reporter as he watched an
songs show of the same mostly featuring Cassidy, episode of “The Partridge
name, found Cassidy cen- Jones and session players, Family” and mocked his
ter stage delivering such produced real-life musi- own acting.
lyrics as “I think I love you, cal hits and made Cassidy Cassidy would endure
so what am I so afraid of?/ a real-life musical super- personal and financial
I’m afraid that I’m not sure star. “I Think I Love You” troubles. He was married
of a love there is no cure was the Partridges’ best- and divorced three times,
for.” known song, spending battled alcoholism, was ar- In this Aug. 8, 2009, file photo, actor-singer David Cassidy arrives
There was no doubt: At three weeks on top of the rested for drunk driving and at the ABC Disney Summer press tour party in Pasadena, Calif.
20, Cassidy was the radi- Billboard chart at a time in 2015 filed for bankruptcy. Associated Press
ant man-boy to help usher when other hit singles in- Cassidy had two children, was her biological father from his father. Born in New
young girls (and young cluded James Taylor’s “Fire musician Beau Cassidy and but I didn’t raise her,” he York City in 1950, he was
boys, for that matter) into and Rain” and Smokey actress Katie Cassidy, with told People magazine in the son of actors Jack Cas-
the untold mysteries of pu- Robinson and the Miracles’ whom he acknowledged 2017. “She has a com- sidy and Evelyn Ward and
bescence, adolescence, “The Tears of a Clown.” The having a distant relation- pletely different life.” Cas- half brother of entertainer
romance and rock ‘n’ roll. group also reached the top ship. “I wasn’t her father. I sidy himself was estranged Shaun Cassidy.q
For all that, millions knew 10 with “I’ll Meet You Half-
they loved him. way” and “Doesn’t Some-
Within a few years, those body Want to be Wanted,”
legions of fans would out- and Cassidy had a solo hit
grow him, just as Cassidy with “Cherish.”
would outgrow himself, or, “In two years, David Cas-
at least, what had made sidy has swept hurricane-
him a superstar. His cheru- like into the pre-pubescent
bic looks would fade along lives of millions of Ameri-
with his popularity; his lad- can girls,” Rolling Stone
dish proto-Farrah-Fawcett magazine noted in 1972.
shag would thin. It needn’t “Leaving: six and a half mil-
have shocked him or any- lion long-playing albums
body else; the odds of and singles; 44 television
sustaining that white-hot programs; David Cassidy
level of success were no lunch boxes; David Cassidy
less great than for his hav- bubble gum; David Cas-
ing been ignited as a star sidy coloring books and
in the first place. Lightning David Cassidy pens; not to
seldom strikes even once, mention several millions of
much less twice. teen magazines, wall stick-
Cassidy, who announced ers, love beads, posters
earlier this year that he had and photo albums.”
been diagnosed with de- Cassidy’s appeal faded
mentia, died Tuesday sur- after the show went off
rounded by his family. No the air, although he con-
further details were imme- tinued to tour, record and
diately available, but pub- act over the next 40 years,
licist JoAnn Geffen said on his albums including “Ro-
Saturday that Cassidy was mance” and the awkward-
in a Fort Lauderdale, Flori- ly titled “Didn’t You Used
da, hospital suffering from To Be?” He had a hit with
organ failure. “I Write the Songs” before
“The Partridge Fam- Barry Manilow’s chart-top-
ily” aired from 1970-74 and ping version and success
was intended at first as a overseas with “The Last
vehicle for Shirley Jones, Kiss,” featuring backing vo-
the Oscar-winning actress cals from Cassidy admirer
and Cassidy’s stepmother. George Michael. He made
Jones played Shirley Par- occasional stage and tele-
tridge, a widow with five vision appearances, in-
children with whom she cluding an Emmy-nominat-
forms a popular act that ed performance on “Police
travels on a psychedelic Story.”
bus. The cast also featured Even while “The Partridge
Cassidy as eldest son and Family” was still in prime-