Bio: David Cassidy was born on April 12, 1950 in Manhattan, to Jack Cassidy, a very skilled actor and singer, and Evelyn Ward, an actress. By the time he was five, his parents were divorced and Jack had married actress Shirley Jones, an actress who in 1955 had just made Oklahoma! (1955). When David was about 10, his mother moved to California from New Jersey. A few years later, she married a director and, like Jack Cassidy and Shirley Jones, the marriage ended in divorce. David was thrown out of schools and hardly made it through one year of college. When he was eighteen, he went east to New York to perform in a play called "The Fig Leafs are Falling." He did some other spots on TV, but in 1970 he got the opportunity to play Keith Partridge on the TV show The Partridge Family (1970). (He did not know until he got the part that his real life stepmother Shirley Jones was to play his mother Shirley.) The show ended in 1974, but not the close relationship he had with his "sister" Susan Dey, who played Laurie Partridge. In 1976, David's father Jack died when his apartment caught on fire. That year, David married Kay Lenz, but they later divorced. He married again to a horse trainer in 1984, but it did not last either. In 1990, he married Sue Shifrin. He had two children, a son named Beau, with Sue, and actress Katie Cassidy. In 1994, he wrote a book about his years being Keith Partridge, and performed updated songs from the Partridge Family years.David died on November 21, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was sixty seven.
Tivia: At his peak, Cassidy was the world's highest paid live entertainer, and his official fan club was the largest in pop history - exceeding Elvis Presley and The Beatles.Out of the approximate $500 million that The Partridge Family (1970) made, he was initially paid $600 per week, but commanded upwards of $50,000 per concert appearance. His renegotiated contract boosted his weekly salary to $6,000 per week plus some participation.Claimed in his 1994 autobiography that he turned down an offer in the early '70s to record an album of songs written by Lou Reed and produced by David Bowie (who wanted to experiment with his teenybopper image).Daughter Katie Cassidy posted on social media site Twitter: "My father's last words were 'so much wasted time'. This will be a daily reminder for me to share my gratitude with those I love, and to never waste another minute...thank you, Dad".He was a close friend of John Lennon, whom he greatly admired.14 year-old fan Bernadette Whelan died of heart failure on 30 May 1974, from injuries sustained while attending a 26 May Cassidy show at London's White City Stadium. 650 fans were injured in a crush. Cassidy was so affected that he quit both touring and The Partridge Family (1970).At the height of David's reign as a teen idol, he fronted an anti-smoking campaign...despite having been a smoker. This was largely in response to his father Jack's death - which occurred when Jack accidentally dropped a lit cigarette onto a couch, starting a fire that gutted his apartment with himself in it.His acting mentor was real-life former stepmother Shirley Jones...with whom he enjoyed a wonderful relationship, both in real life and while working on The Partridge Family (1970). He admitted to having a crush on Shirley since the age of 6, when his family took him to see her movie Oklahoma! (1955).Decided to quit The Partridge Family (1970), after the fourth season, ostensibly because he was tired of the role and wanted to work on other projects, but also because of a tragic mob-stampede at one of his UK concerts in 1974. Cassidy was rushed by an out-of-control crowd, which resulted in over six hundred British fans being seriously injured...including a teenage girl who died four days thereafter.Father of Katie Cassidy via an extramarital affair with Sherry Williams (David was married to Meryl Ann Tanz at the time).Daughter Katie Cassidy is a singer who recently covered her father's song "I Think I Love You." She was featured in a VH1 five-part documentary series on the last forty years of teen music performers, Bubblegum Babylon (2002).Lost a lot of money investing heavily in the 1990s dotcom boom when the bubble burst.In February 2017 he claimed he had been diagnosed with dementia in 2014. He also announced his retirement from performing. However a few months later he admitted he did not have dementia and had used it as a cover for his alcoholism.Made his Broadway debut in 1969 in the musical "The Fig Leaves Are Falling" at the same time his father Jack Cassidy and stepmother Shirley Jones opened on Broadway in "Maggie Flynn". Both shows were notorious flops, the former closing after four performances.In an attempt to break from his Keith Partridge persona, he posed nude for Annie Leibovitz for a photo in the 11 May 1972 "Rolling Stone" magazine.Son of actress Evelyn Ward and actor Jack Cassidy.Best friend of Danny Bonaduce.In his stage performances, Cassidy often joked playfully about his Partridge Family days. Yet he also said that some of their music could really hold up as soft rock, if people gave it a chance. He cited "Doesn't Somebody Want to be Wanted" as the song he was always most proud of, claiming that it has a lot of the characteristics required for good, "soft folk rock".Older half-brother of Shaun Cassidy, Ryan Cassidy, and Patrick Cassidy.Ranked #98 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists.In 1986 he owed $800,000 and only had $1,000 to his name.Sued Sony for several million dollars over profits from _The Partridge Family_, but was only awarded $158,000.Ranked #1 in TV Guide's list of "TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols" (23 January 2005 issue).Had several hair transplants in later years.Before relocating to live in Las Vegas, NV, Cassidy & his family resided for several years in the Fairfield County town of Ridgefield, Connecticut. (January 2007)In an interview, Shirley Jones reported that at the height of the "The Partridge Family," David Cassidy would work all week on an episode and then fly off on weekends to perform concerts. He would often show up on set looking very exhausted.Had an operation at age 11 on his left optical nerve which was wrapped around a blood vessel, sometimes resulting in a "lazy" eye when he was over-tired, and had his gall bladder removed in 1972 after a concert in Wildwood, New Jersey.Following his passing. He didn't have any public memorial service nor funeral. His remains were cremated and his ashes scattered at the race track.Starred in the play "Time" in London with Laurence Olivier in 1987. It was Olivier's final stage performance (although he was only seen via a previously filmed segment).Was allergic to garlic.Ranked #6 on Vh1's 100 Greatest Teen Stars.Friends with Larry Hagman, and Larry Manetti.Ironically for a teen idol whose appearances tended to spark riots during the 1970's, his final UK tour - in 2015 - made a profit of only ��408. He filed for bankruptcy that same year.Father of Beau Cassidy with Sue Shifrin.Mentioned in the song "Jackie's Strength" by Tori Amos.In 2008, he publicly admitted to having struggled with alcoholism for most of his life...and to being treated for the disease on three separate occasions in rehab. Two years later, as if to lend emphasis to said announcement, Cassidy was arrested in Florida on November 3 for DUI.Became friends with Leif Garrett while filming "The Spirit of '76".Was a fan of Julie London's music.His mother, Evelyn Ward, died on December 23, 2012, at age 89.Both he and his stepmother, actress-singer Shirley Jones, made the cover of the prestigious Life magazine at age 21. He in 1971, and she in early 1956.Lead vocalist and lead guitarist of The Partridge Family (1970).Had therapy three times a week for three years in the late 1980s.Best known by the public for his role as Keith Partridge on The Partridge Family (1970).His father was of half Irish and half German ancestry. His mother was of mainly Colonial American (English) descent, with a smaller amount of Irish and Swiss-German roots.His voice was enhanced on some songs by Jim Haas.Co-host, with Erica Shaffer, of an infomercial for TimeLife's "Billboard #1 Hits of the 70s" music collection. (2009)Former stepson of Elliot Silverstein.He, Sue and Beau lived in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. (January 2008)His hit song "I Think I Love You" was featured and sung on the album "You and Me" by Declan Galbraith.Was a lifelong supporter of the Democratic Party.