David Cassidy, the teen and pre-teen idol who starred in the 1970s sitcom 香蕉视频直播淭he Partridge Family香蕉视频直播� and sold millions of records as the musical group香蕉视频直播檚 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.
香蕉视频直播淒avid died surrounded by those he loved, with joy in his heart and free from the pain that had gripped him for so long,香蕉视频直播� the statement said. 香蕉视频直播淭hank you for the abundance and support you have shown him these many years.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淭he Partridge Family香蕉视频直播� aired from 1970-74 and was a fictional variation of the 香蕉视频直播�60s performers the Cowsills, intended at first as a vehicle for Shirley Jones, the Oscar-winning actress and Cassidy香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播淟.A. Law香蕉视频直播� fame, as sibling Laurie Partridge and Danny Bonaduce as sibling Danny Partridge.
It was an era for singing families 香蕉视频直播� the Osmonds, the Jacksons. 香蕉视频直播淭he Partridge Family香蕉视频直播� 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香蕉视频直播� best known song, 香蕉视频直播淚 Think I Love You,香蕉视频直播� spent three weeks on top of the Billboard chart at a time when other hit singles included James Taylor香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淔ire and Rain香蕉视频直播� and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淭he Tears of a Clown.香蕉视频直播�
The group also reached the top 10 with 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檒l Meet You Halfway香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淒oesn香蕉视频直播檛 Somebody Want to be Wanted香蕉视频直播� and Cassidy had a solo hit with 香蕉视频直播淐herish.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚n two years, David Cassidy has swept hurricane-like into the pre-pubescent lives of millions of American girls,香蕉视频直播� Rolling Stone magazine noted in 1972. 香蕉视频直播淟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.香蕉视频直播�
Cassidy香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播淩omance香蕉视频直播� and the awkwardly titled 香蕉视频直播淒idn香蕉视频直播檛 You Used To Be?香蕉视频直播�
He had a hit with 香蕉视频直播淚 Write the Songs香蕉视频直播� before Barry Manilow香蕉视频直播檚 chart-topping version and success overseas with 香蕉视频直播淭he Last Kiss,香蕉视频直播� featuring backing vocals from Cassidy admirer George Michael. He made occasional stage and television appearances, including an Emmy-nominated performance on 香蕉视频直播淧olice Story.香蕉视频直播�
Meanwhile, 香蕉视频直播淭he Partridge Family香蕉视频直播� 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.
香蕉视频直播淪o many people come up to me and talk to me about the impact it (the show) had,香蕉视频直播� he told Arsenio Hall in 1990.
Even while 香蕉视频直播淭he Partridge Family香蕉视频直播� 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香蕉视频直播檚 reporter as he watched an episode of 香蕉视频直播淭he Partridge Family香蕉视频直播� and mocked his own acting.
Cassidy maintained an exhausting schedule during the show香蕉视频直播檚 run, filming during the week and performing live shows over the weekend, but had plenty of time to indulge himself.
In the memoir 香蕉视频直播淐ould It Be Forever,香蕉视频直播� he wrote of his prolific sex life and of rejecting Dey香蕉视频直播檚 advances because she lacked the 香蕉视频直播渟lutty aspect of a female that I always found so attractive.香蕉视频直播�
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.
香蕉视频直播淚 wasn香蕉视频直播檛 her father. I was her biological father but I didn香蕉视频直播檛 raise her,香蕉视频直播� he told People magazine in 2017. 香蕉视频直播淪he has a completely different life.香蕉视频直播�
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香蕉视频直播檚 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 香蕉视频直播淏onanza,香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播滻ronside香蕉视频直播� and other programs before producers at ABC television asked him to audition for 香蕉视频直播淭he Partridge Family,香蕉视频直播� unaware that he could sing and intending at first to have him mime songs to someone else香蕉视频直播檚 voice.
Cassidy, who only learned during tryouts that Jones would play his mother, worried that Keith Partridge would be a 香蕉视频直播渞eal comedown香蕉视频直播� from his previous roles.
香蕉视频直播淚 mean, how much could an actor do with a line like, 香蕉视频直播楬i, Mom, I香蕉视频直播檓 home from school,香蕉视频直播� or 香蕉视频直播楶lease pass the milk?香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈 he wrote in his memoir. 香蕉视频直播淚 didn香蕉视频直播檛 see how it could do much for me. After all, I wasn香蕉视频直播檛 the star of it. Shirley had top billing; I was just one of the kids.香蕉视频直播�
Hillel Italie, The Associated Press
