David Cassidy
Encyclopedia
David Bruce Cassidy is an American
actor
, singer, songwriter
and guitarist
. He is best known for his role as the character of Keith Partridge in the 1970s musical/sitcom The Partridge Family
. He was one of pop culture's most celebrated teen idol
s, enjoying a successful pop career in the 1970s, and still performs today. Aside from Elvis Presley, David had the largest fan base worldwideCitation needed.
He was one of the contestants on Celebrity Apprentice
2011., in which his daughter Katie Cassidy made a brief appearance at her father's request.
and actress Evelyn Ward
. As his parents were frequently touring on the road, he spent his early years being raised by his maternal grandparents in a middle class neighborhood in West Orange, New Jersey
. In 1956, he found out from neighbors' children that his parents had been divorced for over two years and had not told him. David's parents had decided because he was at such a young age, it would be better for his emotional stability to not discuss it at that time. They were gone often with theater productions and home life remained the same.
In 1956, his father married actress Shirley Jones
, and three half-brothers were born: Shaun
(1958), Patrick
(1962) and Ryan (1966).As a young teen he moved into Shirley's home in Beverly Hills where his father and step-brothers resided. David remained there seeking fame as an actor/musician until he moved out when his career began to flourish.
musical The Fig Leaves Are Falling
. It closed after 4 performances but a casting director saw the show and asked Cassidy to make a screen test. In 1969, he moved to Los Angeles.
After signing with Universal Studios
in 1969, Cassidy was featured in episodes of the TV series Ironside
, Marcus Welby, M.D.
, Adam-12
and Bonanza
. In 1970, he took the part of Keith Partridge, son of Shirley Partridge, who was played by Cassidy's real stepmother and series' lead, Shirley Jones. According to an episode profiling her on A&E Biography, "Shirley Jones: Hollywood's Musical Mom", Cassidy said that he wanted to hate his stepmother, but after his mother's real-life divorce, she immediately stepped in and he began to love her. It wasn't until he had children of own that he began to have a new love and respect for his mother of birth, Evelyn Ward. She became very close to her granddaughters family, (The BENEDON'S) which united the family. Evelyn, In her late 70's, now resides in a nursing facility where she suffers from advanced Alzheimer's and dementia.
The Partridge Family series creator Bernard Slade
and producers Paul Junger Witt
and Robert "Bob" Claver did not care whether Cassidy could sing, knowing only that his androgynous good looks would guarantee success. But shortly after production began, Cassidy convinced music producer Wes Farrell
that he was good enough and he was promoted to lead singer for show's recordings. Once "I Think I Love You
" became a hit, Cassidy began work on solo albums as well. Within the first year he had produced his own single, "Cherish
" (from the album of the same title
), which reached #9 in the US, and began tours that featured Partridge tunes and his own hits. He became a teen idol
.
Unfortunately, Davis strived to become a respected rock musician with an edge such as Mick Jagger or Alice Cooper, but instead his career turned him into a teen idol. A title he loathed until much later in life when thru therapy, he came to terms with his bubblegum status.
On and off the show, Cassidy had a strong bond with his stepmother. He and co-star Danny Bonaduce
did not get along with Jeremy Gelbwaks
, (who played their brother, Chris) during its first season. In the second season, Gelbwaks was replaced by Brian Forster
, who stayed until the series' end.
Ten albums by The Partridge Family and five solo albums were produced during the show. Cassidy also became an instant drawcard with spectacular sellout concerts successes in major arenas around the world. These concerts produced mass hysteria resulting in the media coining the term Cassidymania. By way of example, he played to two sellout crowds of 56,000 each at the Houston Astrodome in Texas over one weekend in 1972. His concert in New York's Madison Square Garden sold out in one day and resulted in riots after the show. His concert tours of the UK sold out and included six sellout concerts at Wembley over one weekend in 1973. In Australia in 1974, the mass hysteria was such that there were calls to have him deported from the country, especially after the madness at his 33,000 audience concert at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
A turning point in his live rock concerts (while still filming The Partridge Family) was a gate stampede which killed a teenage girl. At a show in London's White City Stadium
on May 26, 1974, 650 were injured in a crush at the front of the stage. Thirty were taken to the hospital, and one, 14-year-old Bernadette Whelan, died on May 30 from injuries. The show was the penultimate date on a world tour. A deeply affected Cassidy faced the press, trying to make sense of what had happened. Out of respect for the family and to avoid turning the girl's funeral into a media circus, Cassidy did not attend the service. He did, however, speak to Bernadatte's parents and sent flowers. Cassidy stated at the time that this would haunt him until the day he died.
Cassidy's 1994 autobiography C'mon Get Happy: Fear And Loathing On The Partridge Family Bus provides an account of most aspects of his fame, including contracts, money and his fanatical worldwide fan following.
--The New Musical Experience Magazine
, October 1972.
By this point, Cassidy had decided to quit both touring and acting in The Partridge Family, concentrating instead on recording and song-writing. International success continued, mostly in Great Britain and Germany, when he released three well-received solo albums on RCA
between 1975 and 1977. Cassidy became first to have a hit with I Write The Songs
, a Top 20 record in Great Britain
before the song became Barry Manilow
's signature tune. Cassidy's recording was produced by the song's author-composer, Bruce Johnston
of The Beach Boys
.
In 1978, Cassidy starred in an episode of Police Story titled "A Chance To Live," for which he received an Emmy nomination. NBC
created a show based on it, called David Cassidy: Man Under Cover
, but it was canceled after one season. However, the format was used in a well-received Fox TV
series, 21 Jump Street
, with Johnny Depp
in the role Cassidy had vacated.
In 1985, music success continued with the Arista
release of the single The Last Kiss (#6 in the UK), with backing vocals by George Michael
, which was included on the album Romance
. These went gold in Europe and Australia and Cassidy supported them with a sellout tour of the UK which resulted in the Greatest Hits Live compilation of 1986. George Michael
cited Cassidy as a major career influence and interviewed Cassidy for David Litchfield's prestigious Ritz Newspaper
.
Cassidy returned to the American Top 40 with his 1990 single "Lyin' To Myself," released on the Enigma Records label
. In 1998, he had an AC
hit with "No Bridge I Wouldn't Cross" from his album Old Trick, New Dog
. His 2001 album Then And Now went platinum internationally and returned Cassidy to the Top 5 of the UK album charts for the first time since 1974.
Cassidy has performed in musical theatre. In 1981, he toured in a revival of a pre-Broadway
production of Little Johnny Jones
, a show originally produced in 1904 with music, lyrics, and book by George M. Cohan
. (The show is excerpted in the biographic film Yankee Doodle Dandy
(1942), when James Cagney
sings Give My Regards to Broadway
and The Yankee Doodle Boy
.) However, Cassidy received negative reviews, and he had been replaced by another former teen idol, Donny Osmond
, by the time the show reached Broadway. Cassidy, in turn, was himself a replacement for the lead in the original 1982 Broadway production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
. He appeared in London's West End
production of Time
and returned to Broadway in Blood Brothers alongside Petula Clark
and his half-brother, Shaun Cassidy
. In concert performances in 1990, Cassidy hired his recalcitrant TV brother Danny Bonaduce
as his warm-up act. In 1996, he replaced Michael Crawford
in the Las Vegas
show EFX
, re-writing it into one of the Strip's favorite shows – although Cassidy was forced to resign after he injured his foot during a performance. He also created The Rat Pack is Back. in which he made guest appearances as Bobby Darin
, and which ran successfully. In 2000, he wrote and appeared in the Las Vegas show At the Copa, with Sheena Easton
, as both the young and old versions of the lead character, Johnny Flamingo. In 2005, Cassidy played the manager of Aaron Carter
's character in the film Popstar
. In 2006, as well as performing with Peter Furniss and Thomas Bowles, he made a guest appearance for BBC
Children in Need
performing live, then assisting Terry Wogan
collecting donations from the studio audience.
He co-starred alongside his brother Patrick
in a 2009 ABC Family
short-lived comedy series titled Ruby & The Rockits, a show created by his brother Shaun.
The BBC
telecast an episode of The One Show
with Cassidy as guest on April 11, 2011. During the broadcast he got into an argument with an English horse racing
commentator named Brough Scott
. Nancy Sinatra
had this to say on her family's website later that day: "Cassidy is a real jerk who never cleared rights to the Sinatra name for his Sinatra show and he deserves his karma for breaking copyright laws. The proof of the pudding is he didn't give a damn about those poor horses or show any respect to Mr. Scott. I believe he respects nothing and nobody, especially my father."
, whom he married in 1977 and divorced in 1982. His second wife was wealthy South African sportswoman Meryl Tanz, whom he briefly married in 1984. Meryl was a very successful horse breeder who brought David into her life revolving around thoroughbred horse racing. This began David's love of the track. This marriage ended in 1985.
On November 25, 1986, after 15 years of an on and off relationship with high fashion model, Sherry Williams, she gave birth to David's only daughter, now a successful film actress, Katherine Evelyn Cassidy
(Katie). Sherry raised their daughter Katie, with her husband of 20 years, a physician, Richard Benedon in Calabasas, California, where they currently reside.
David has one son, Beau Devin Cassidy, born February 8, 1991, to Sue Shifrin. Cassidy and Shifrin married on March 30, 1991, after the birth of their son. Beau is currently pursuing a music career and resides in Boston. This is David's third marriage and he currently resides in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. having a stable horse business, while Sue (this her second marriage) resides in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, living alone while attempting to pursue her songwriting career and working for a cosmetics firm.
Cassidy has written a memoir that was published in the UK in March 2007. Could It Be Forever? My Story gives details of his personal life.
Cassidy was arrested in Florida for DUI on November 3, 2010.
David continues his stint in re-hab, which was the result of his dependency on pain medication, after his injury during EFX in Las Vegas.
and published in 2010, examines the life of a David Cassidy fan from her teenage years to adulthood.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, singer, songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
and guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. He is best known for his role as the character of Keith Partridge in the 1970s musical/sitcom The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family
The Partridge Family is an American television sitcom about a widowed mother and her five children who embark on a music career. The series originally ran from September 25, 1970 until August 31, 1974, the last new episode airing on March 23, 1974, on the ABC network, as part of a Friday-night lineup...
. He was one of pop culture's most celebrated teen idol
Teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...
s, enjoying a successful pop career in the 1970s, and still performs today. Aside from Elvis Presley, David had the largest fan base worldwideCitation needed.
He was one of the contestants on Celebrity Apprentice
Celebrity Apprentice
Celebrity Apprentice is a variation of the TV series, The Apprentice, in which the competitors are already celebrities from various walks of life. Thus far, the concept has been used, with some variations, in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.Installments of the American series...
2011., in which his daughter Katie Cassidy made a brief appearance at her father's request.
Early life
David Cassidy was born at Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital in New York City, New York, the son of actor Jack CassidyJack Cassidy
John Joseph Edward “Jack” Cassidy was an American actor of stage, film and screen.His frequent professional persona was that of an urbane, super-confident egotist with a dramatic flair, much in the manner of Broadway actor Frank Fay...
and actress Evelyn Ward
Evelyn Ward
Evelyn Ward was an American actress best known for her television career from the late 1940s through the mid 1960s, and for being the mother of famous actor and teen idol David Cassidy....
. As his parents were frequently touring on the road, he spent his early years being raised by his maternal grandparents in a middle class neighborhood in West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 46,207...
. In 1956, he found out from neighbors' children that his parents had been divorced for over two years and had not told him. David's parents had decided because he was at such a young age, it would be better for his emotional stability to not discuss it at that time. They were gone often with theater productions and home life remained the same.
In 1956, his father married actress Shirley Jones
Shirley Jones
Shirley Mae Jones is an American singer and actress of stage, film and television. In her six decades of television, she starred as wholesome characters in a number of well-known musical films, such as Oklahoma! , Carousel , and The Music Man...
, and three half-brothers were born: Shaun
Shaun Cassidy
Shaun Paul Cassidy is an American actor, singer, writer, and producer. He is the eldest son of Academy Award winning actress Shirley Jones, and the second son of Tony award-winning actor Jack Cassidy...
(1958), Patrick
Patrick Cassidy (actor)
Patrick Cassidy is an American actor best known for his roles in musical theatre and television.-Personal life:...
(1962) and Ryan (1966).As a young teen he moved into Shirley's home in Beverly Hills where his father and step-brothers resided. David remained there seeking fame as an actor/musician until he moved out when his career began to flourish.
Career
On January 2, 1969, Cassidy made his professional debut in the BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical The Fig Leaves Are Falling
The Fig Leaves Are Falling
The Fig Leaves Are Falling is a musical with a book and lyrics by Allan Sherman and music by Albert Hague. It was inspired by Sherman's 1966 divorce following 21 years of marriage....
. It closed after 4 performances but a casting director saw the show and asked Cassidy to make a screen test. In 1969, he moved to Los Angeles.
After signing with Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in 1969, Cassidy was featured in episodes of the TV series Ironside
Ironside (TV series)
Ironside is a Universal television series which ran on NBC from September 14, 1967 to January 16, 1975. The show starred Raymond Burr as the wheelchair-using Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside. The character's debut was in a TV-movie on March 28, 1967. The original title of the show in the...
, Marcus Welby, M.D.
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Marcus Welby, M.D. is an American medical drama television program that aired on ABC from September 23, 1969, to July 29, 1976. It starred Robert Young as a family practitioner with a kind bedside manner, and was produced by David Victor and David J. O'Connell...
, Adam-12
Adam-12
Adam-12 was a television police drama which followed two police officers of the Los Angeles Police Department, Pete Malloy and Jim Reed, as they patrolled the streets of Los Angeles in their patrol unit, 1-Adam-12. Created by Jack Webb who is known for creating Dragnet, the series captured a...
and Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
. In 1970, he took the part of Keith Partridge, son of Shirley Partridge, who was played by Cassidy's real stepmother and series' lead, Shirley Jones. According to an episode profiling her on A&E Biography, "Shirley Jones: Hollywood's Musical Mom", Cassidy said that he wanted to hate his stepmother, but after his mother's real-life divorce, she immediately stepped in and he began to love her. It wasn't until he had children of own that he began to have a new love and respect for his mother of birth, Evelyn Ward. She became very close to her granddaughters family, (The BENEDON'S) which united the family. Evelyn, In her late 70's, now resides in a nursing facility where she suffers from advanced Alzheimer's and dementia.
The Partridge Family series creator Bernard Slade
Bernard Slade
Bernard Slade is a Canadian playwright and screenwriter.Born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Slade began his career as an actor with the Garden Center Theatre in Vineland, Ontario. In the mid-1960s, he relocated to Hollywood and began to work as a writer for television sitcoms, including Bewitched...
and producers Paul Junger Witt
Paul Junger Witt
Paul Junger Witt is an American film and television producer. He, with his partners Tony Thomas and Susan Harris , produced such hit TV shows as Here Come the Brides, The Partridge Family, The Golden Girls, Soap, Benson, Empty Nest and Blossom...
and Robert "Bob" Claver did not care whether Cassidy could sing, knowing only that his androgynous good looks would guarantee success. But shortly after production began, Cassidy convinced music producer Wes Farrell
Wes Farrell
Wes Farrell was an American musician, songwriter and record producer, who was most active in the 1960s and 1970s...
that he was good enough and he was promoted to lead singer for show's recordings. Once "I Think I Love You
I Think I Love You
"I Think I Love You" is a 1970 single by The Partridge Family, featuring David Cassidy, composed by songwriter Tony Romeo. The song was released at the same time as the debut of the network television sitcom The Partridge Family. During the show's first season the song was featured on the show...
" became a hit, Cassidy began work on solo albums as well. Within the first year he had produced his own single, "Cherish
Cherish (The Association song)
"Cherish" is a pop song written by Terry Kirkman and recorded by The Association. Released in 1966, the song reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in September of that year and remained in the top position for three weeks. In Canada, the song also reached number one...
" (from the album of the same title
Cherish (album)
Cherish is the debut solo album by American singer David Cassidy, produced by Wes Farrell and released by Bell Records in early 1972.- Recording :...
), which reached #9 in the US, and began tours that featured Partridge tunes and his own hits. He became a teen idol
Teen idol
A teen idol is a celebrity who is widely idolized by teenagers; he or she is often young but not necessarily teenaged. Often teen idols are actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have an appeal to teenagers. Some teen idols began their careers as child actors...
.
Unfortunately, Davis strived to become a respected rock musician with an edge such as Mick Jagger or Alice Cooper, but instead his career turned him into a teen idol. A title he loathed until much later in life when thru therapy, he came to terms with his bubblegum status.
On and off the show, Cassidy had a strong bond with his stepmother. He and co-star Danny Bonaduce
Danny Bonaduce
Dante Daniel "Danny" Bonaduce is an American radio/television personality, comedian, professional wrestler, and former child actor...
did not get along with Jeremy Gelbwaks
Jeremy Gelbwaks
Jeremy Gelbwaks was a child actor who starred in the television series The Partridge Family from 1970 to 1971.-Career:...
, (who played their brother, Chris) during its first season. In the second season, Gelbwaks was replaced by Brian Forster
Brian Forster
Brian Forster was the second actor to play the role of Chris Partridge in the television series The Partridge Family.-Biography:...
, who stayed until the series' end.
Ten albums by The Partridge Family and five solo albums were produced during the show. Cassidy also became an instant drawcard with spectacular sellout concerts successes in major arenas around the world. These concerts produced mass hysteria resulting in the media coining the term Cassidymania. By way of example, he played to two sellout crowds of 56,000 each at the Houston Astrodome in Texas over one weekend in 1972. His concert in New York's Madison Square Garden sold out in one day and resulted in riots after the show. His concert tours of the UK sold out and included six sellout concerts at Wembley over one weekend in 1973. In Australia in 1974, the mass hysteria was such that there were calls to have him deported from the country, especially after the madness at his 33,000 audience concert at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
A turning point in his live rock concerts (while still filming The Partridge Family) was a gate stampede which killed a teenage girl. At a show in London's White City Stadium
White City Stadium
White City Stadium was built in White City, London, for the 1908 Summer Olympics, often seen as the precursor to the modern seater stadium and noted for hosting the finish of the first modern distance marathon. It also hosted speedway and a match at the 1966 World Cup, before the stadium was...
on May 26, 1974, 650 were injured in a crush at the front of the stage. Thirty were taken to the hospital, and one, 14-year-old Bernadette Whelan, died on May 30 from injuries. The show was the penultimate date on a world tour. A deeply affected Cassidy faced the press, trying to make sense of what had happened. Out of respect for the family and to avoid turning the girl's funeral into a media circus, Cassidy did not attend the service. He did, however, speak to Bernadatte's parents and sent flowers. Cassidy stated at the time that this would haunt him until the day he died.
Cassidy's 1994 autobiography C'mon Get Happy: Fear And Loathing On The Partridge Family Bus provides an account of most aspects of his fame, including contracts, money and his fanatical worldwide fan following.
--The New Musical Experience Magazine
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, October 1972.
By this point, Cassidy had decided to quit both touring and acting in The Partridge Family, concentrating instead on recording and song-writing. International success continued, mostly in Great Britain and Germany, when he released three well-received solo albums on RCA
RCA
RCA Corporation, founded as the Radio Corporation of America, was an American electronics company in existence from 1919 to 1986. The RCA trademark is currently owned by the French conglomerate Technicolor SA through RCA Trademark Management S.A., a company owned by Technicolor...
between 1975 and 1977. Cassidy became first to have a hit with I Write The Songs
I Write the Songs
"I Write the Songs" is a popular song written by Bruce Johnston in 1975 and made famous by Barry Manilow. Manilow's version reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1976 after spending two weeks atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart in December 1975...
, a Top 20 record in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
before the song became Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow
Barry Manilow is an American singer-songwriter, musician, arranger, producer, conductor, and performer, best known for such recordings as "Could It Be Magic", "Mandy", "Can't Smile Without You", and "Copacabana ."...
's signature tune. Cassidy's recording was produced by the song's author-composer, Bruce Johnston
Bruce Johnston
Bruce Arthur Johnston is a member of The Beach Boys and a songwriter, remembered especially for composing "I Write the Songs". Johnston was not one of the original members of the band...
of The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
.
In 1978, Cassidy starred in an episode of Police Story titled "A Chance To Live," for which he received an Emmy nomination. NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
created a show based on it, called David Cassidy: Man Under Cover
David Cassidy: Man Under Cover
David Cassidy: Man Under Cover is an American police drama starring David Cassidy, four years after his run starring in the The Partridge Family. The series pilot first aired as a two-hour episode of another show, Police Story, which featured Cassidy playing an undercover police officer...
, but it was canceled after one season. However, the format was used in a well-received Fox TV
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
series, 21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools,...
, with Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
in the role Cassidy had vacated.
In 1985, music success continued with the Arista
Arista Records
Arista was an American record label. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operated under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
release of the single The Last Kiss (#6 in the UK), with backing vocals by George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
, which was included on the album Romance
Romance (David Cassidy album)
Romance was David Cassidy's seventh studio album as a solo artist and his first released by Arista Records. Released in 1985, Romance was the only studio album Cassidy released during the 80's...
. These went gold in Europe and Australia and Cassidy supported them with a sellout tour of the UK which resulted in the Greatest Hits Live compilation of 1986. George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
cited Cassidy as a major career influence and interviewed Cassidy for David Litchfield's prestigious Ritz Newspaper
Ritz Newspaper
Ritz Newspaper, colloquially Ritz Magazine, sometimes simply Ritz, was a British magazine focusing on gossip, celebrity and fashion. It was launched in 1976 by David Bailey and David Litchfield, who acted as co-editors. Published on newsprint and described by Litchfield as "the Lou Reed of...
.
Cassidy returned to the American Top 40 with his 1990 single "Lyin' To Myself," released on the Enigma Records label
Enigma Records
Enigma Records was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. It was initially a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/distributor, which it split-off from in 1985 to become its own company...
. In 1998, he had an AC
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
hit with "No Bridge I Wouldn't Cross" from his album Old Trick, New Dog
Old Trick New Dog (album)
Old Trick New Dog was a 1998 release from David Cassidy on his own Slamajama Records label. In addition to new songs, it also features several remakes of songs from The Partridge Family. The single lifted from the album - No Bridge I Wouldn't Cross - was an Adult Contemporary Top 20 hit in the USA...
. His 2001 album Then And Now went platinum internationally and returned Cassidy to the Top 5 of the UK album charts for the first time since 1974.
Cassidy has performed in musical theatre. In 1981, he toured in a revival of a pre-Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of Little Johnny Jones
Little Johnny Jones
For the blues pianist, see Little Johnny Jones Little Johnny Jones is a musical by George M. Cohan. The show introduced Cohan's tunes "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "The Yankee Doodle Boy." The "Yankee Doodle" character was inspired by real-life Hall of Fame jockey Tod Sloan.-Background:The...
, a show originally produced in 1904 with music, lyrics, and book by George M. Cohan
George M. Cohan
George Michael Cohan , known professionally as George M. Cohan, was a major American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer, and producer....
. (The show is excerpted in the biographic film Yankee Doodle Dandy
Yankee Doodle Dandy
Yankee Doodle Dandy is a 1942 American biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owns Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and Richard Whorf, and features Irene Manning, George Tobias, Rosemary DeCamp and Jeanne Cagney.The movie was written by...
(1942), when James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
sings Give My Regards to Broadway
Give My Regards to Broadway
"Give My Regards to Broadway" is a song written by George M. Cohan for his musical play Little Johnny Jones ....
and The Yankee Doodle Boy
The Yankee Doodle Boy
"The Yankee Doodle Boy", also well known as " Yankee Doodle Dandy" is a patriotic song from the Broadway musical Little Johnny Jones written by George M. Cohan...
.) However, Cassidy received negative reviews, and he had been replaced by another former teen idol, Donny Osmond
Donny Osmond
Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond is an American singer, musician, actor, dancer, radio personality, and former teen idol. Osmond has also been a talk and game show host, record producer and author. In the mid 1960s, he and four of his elder brothers gained fame as the Osmond Brothers on the long...
, by the time the show reached Broadway. Cassidy, in turn, was himself a replacement for the lead in the original 1982 Broadway production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Hebrew Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly...
. He appeared in London's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
production of Time
Time (musical)
Time is a musical with a book and lyrics by Dave Clark and David Soames, music by Jeff Daniels, and additional songs by David Pomeranz.Derived from the 1970s musical The Time Lord by Soames and Daniels, it focuses on contemporary rock musician Chris Wilder, who has been transported with his backup...
and returned to Broadway in Blood Brothers alongside Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
and his half-brother, Shaun Cassidy
Shaun Cassidy
Shaun Paul Cassidy is an American actor, singer, writer, and producer. He is the eldest son of Academy Award winning actress Shirley Jones, and the second son of Tony award-winning actor Jack Cassidy...
. In concert performances in 1990, Cassidy hired his recalcitrant TV brother Danny Bonaduce
Danny Bonaduce
Dante Daniel "Danny" Bonaduce is an American radio/television personality, comedian, professional wrestler, and former child actor...
as his warm-up act. In 1996, he replaced Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford
Michael Crawford OBE is an English actor and singer. He has garnered great critical acclaim and won numerous awards during his career, which covers radio, television, film, and stagework on both London's West End and on Broadway in New York City...
in the Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
show EFX
EFX (show)
EFX was a Las Vegas production show residing at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino which opened on March 23, 1995 and closed January 1, 2003. When it premiered, it was the most expensive and largest scaled theatre installation in the world. A significant entertainment landmark of the strip for nearly 8...
, re-writing it into one of the Strip's favorite shows – although Cassidy was forced to resign after he injured his foot during a performance. He also created The Rat Pack is Back. in which he made guest appearances as Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
, and which ran successfully. In 2000, he wrote and appeared in the Las Vegas show At the Copa, with Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton
Sheena Easton is a Scottish recording artist. Easton became famous for being the focus of an episode in the British television programme The Big Time, which recorded her attempts to gain a record contract and her eventual signing with EMI Records.Easton rose to fame in the early 1980s with the pop...
, as both the young and old versions of the lead character, Johnny Flamingo. In 2005, Cassidy played the manager of Aaron Carter
Aaron Carter
Aaron Charles Carter is an American singer. He came to fame as a pop and hip hop singer in the late 1990s, establishing himself as a star among pre-teen and teenage audiences during the early-first decade of the 21st century....
's character in the film Popstar
Popstar (film)
Popstar is an American film that features teen singer Aaron Carter in his first and only lead role in a feature film. The direct-to-video film was directed by Richard Gabai and written by Timothy Barton; the film was released on November 8, 2005. The premiere was held in The Woodlands, Texas. It...
. In 2006, as well as performing with Peter Furniss and Thomas Bowles, he made a guest appearance for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
performing live, then assisting Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
collecting donations from the studio audience.
He co-starred alongside his brother Patrick
Patrick Cassidy
Patrick Cassidy may refer to: * Patrick Cassidy , Irish classical composer of movie soundtracks* Patrick Cassidy , U.S. actor in musical theatre and television...
in a 2009 ABC Family
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
short-lived comedy series titled Ruby & The Rockits, a show created by his brother Shaun.
The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
telecast an episode of The One Show
The One Show
The One Show is a topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One and BBC One HD, hosted by Alex Jones and Matt Baker. Chris Evans joins Jones to present the programme on Friday...
with Cassidy as guest on April 11, 2011. During the broadcast he got into an argument with an English horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
commentator named Brough Scott
Brough Scott
John Brough Scott is a British horse racing journalist, radio and television presenter, and former jockey. He is also the grandson and biographer of the noted Great War soldier "Galloper Jack" Seely....
. Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
had this to say on her family's website later that day: "Cassidy is a real jerk who never cleared rights to the Sinatra name for his Sinatra show and he deserves his karma for breaking copyright laws. The proof of the pudding is he didn't give a damn about those poor horses or show any respect to Mr. Scott. I believe he respects nothing and nobody, especially my father."
Personal life
Cassidy's first wife was actress Kay LenzKay Lenz
Kay Ann Lenz is an American actress.A former child performer, Lenz has worked primarily in television and has won two Emmy Awards.-Background:...
, whom he married in 1977 and divorced in 1982. His second wife was wealthy South African sportswoman Meryl Tanz, whom he briefly married in 1984. Meryl was a very successful horse breeder who brought David into her life revolving around thoroughbred horse racing. This began David's love of the track. This marriage ended in 1985.
On November 25, 1986, after 15 years of an on and off relationship with high fashion model, Sherry Williams, she gave birth to David's only daughter, now a successful film actress, Katherine Evelyn Cassidy
Katie Cassidy
Katherine Evelyn Anita "Katie" Cassidy is an American actress who has performed in The CW TV series Melrose Place, Supernatural, Harper's Island, and Gossip Girl, and on the films When a Stranger Calls, Black Christmas, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Taken, Monte Carlo, and has roles in the upcoming...
(Katie). Sherry raised their daughter Katie, with her husband of 20 years, a physician, Richard Benedon in Calabasas, California, where they currently reside.
David has one son, Beau Devin Cassidy, born February 8, 1991, to Sue Shifrin. Cassidy and Shifrin married on March 30, 1991, after the birth of their son. Beau is currently pursuing a music career and resides in Boston. This is David's third marriage and he currently resides in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. having a stable horse business, while Sue (this her second marriage) resides in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, living alone while attempting to pursue her songwriting career and working for a cosmetics firm.
Cassidy has written a memoir that was published in the UK in March 2007. Could It Be Forever? My Story gives details of his personal life.
Cassidy was arrested in Florida for DUI on November 3, 2010.
David continues his stint in re-hab, which was the result of his dependency on pain medication, after his injury during EFX in Las Vegas.
Activism
In 2011 Cassidy recorded a PSA for Alzheimer's research and prevention and announced he'll champion that cause whenever possible. He plans to address Congress in 2012.Mentions in other media
The novel I Think I Love You, written by Allison PearsonAllison Pearson
Allison Pearson is a Welsh author and newspaper columnist. Her novel I Don't Know How She Does It, published in 2002, has sold four million copies and has been made into a movie of the same name starring Sarah Jessica Parker...
and published in 2010, examines the life of a David Cassidy fan from her teenage years to adulthood.
Discography (solo)
The following listings are sourced from the performer's fan site.Singles
- "CherishCherish (The Association song)"Cherish" is a pop song written by Terry Kirkman and recorded by The Association. Released in 1966, the song reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in September of that year and remained in the top position for three weeks. In Canada, the song also reached number one...
" (1971 US#9) - "Could It Be Forever" (1972 US#37 UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#2) - "How Can I Be SureHow Can I Be Sure"How Can I Be Sure" is a popular song. Written by Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati, it was originally recorded by The Young Rascals on their 1967 album Groovin and became their fourth Top 10 hit in the United States, peaking at #4....
" (1972 US#25 UK#1) - "Rock Me Baby" (1972 US#38 UK#11)
- "I Am a Clown" / "Some Kind of Summer" (1973 UK#3)
- "Daydream" (1973)
- "DaydreamerDaydreamer (1973 song)"Daydreamer" was a popular song by David Cassidy.Written by Terry Dempsey and produced by Rick Jarrard, "Daydreamer" was Cassidy's second and final number one single in the UK, spending three weeks at the top of the chart in October 1973...
" / "The Puppy Song" (1973 UK#1) - "If I Didn't Care" (1974 UK#9)
- "Please Please MePlease Please Me (song)"Please Please Me" is a song and the second single released by The Beatles in the United Kingdom, and the first to be issued in the United States. It was also the title track of their first LP, which was recorded to capitalise on the success of the single...
" (1974 UK#16) - "I Write the SongsI Write the Songs"I Write the Songs" is a popular song written by Bruce Johnston in 1975 and made famous by Barry Manilow. Manilow's version reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1976 after spending two weeks atop the Billboard adult contemporary chart in December 1975...
" / "Get It Up for Love" (1975 UK#11) - "Darlin'" (1975 UK#16)
- "Tomorrow" (1976)
- "Breakin' Down Again" (1976)
- "Gettin' It in the Streets" (1976)
- "Saying Goodbye Ain't Easy (We'll Have to Go Away)" (1977)
- "Hurt So Bad" (1979)
- "The Last Kiss" (1985 UK#6)
- "Romance (Let Your Heart Go)" (1985 UK#54)
- "Someone" (1985)
- "Live EP" (1986)
- "Lyin' to Myself" (1990 US#27)
- "For All the Lonely" (1992)
- "I Think I Love YouI Think I Love You"I Think I Love You" is a 1970 single by The Partridge Family, featuring David Cassidy, composed by songwriter Tony Romeo. The song was released at the same time as the debut of the network television sitcom The Partridge Family. During the show's first season the song was featured on the show...
(new version)" (1998) - "No Bridge I Wouldn't Cross" (1998 US#21 (AC))
Albums
- CherishCherish (album)Cherish is the debut solo album by American singer David Cassidy, produced by Wes Farrell and released by Bell Records in early 1972.- Recording :...
(1972 US#15 UK#2) - Rock Me BabyRock Me Baby (album)Rock Me Baby was the second solo album release from David Cassidy. It was released in 1972 and produced by Wes Farrell on Bell Records. It contains one song written by Cassidy called "Two Time Loser" and a song he co-wrote with Kim Carnes entitled "Song for a Rainy Day". The album peaked at #2 in...
(1972 US#41 UK#2) - Dreams are Nuthin' More than Wishes (1973 UK#1)
- Cassidy Live!Cassidy Live!Cassidy Live! was David Cassidy's fourth solo album and final album released on Bell Records. It was released in 1974 and was recorded live in Britain. It was produced by Cassidy and Barry Ainsworth on Bell Records. The recording captures some of the mass hysteria that surrounded Cassidy's live...
(1974 UK#9) - David Cassidy's Greatest Hits (1974)
- David Cassidy Forever (1975)
- The Higher They ClimbThe Higher They Climb (album)The Higher They Climb or The Higher They Climb the Harder They Fall is an album by David Cassidy. It was his fifth solo release and the first of three albums on RCA Records...
(1975 UK#22) - Home Is Where the Heart Is (1976)
- Getting It In The Street (1976)
- RomanceRomance (David Cassidy album)Romance was David Cassidy's seventh studio album as a solo artist and his first released by Arista Records. Released in 1985, Romance was the only studio album Cassidy released during the 80's...
(1985 UK#20) - Greatest Hits Live (1986)
- David CassidyDavid Cassidy (album)David Cassidy was David Cassidy's first U.S. album released in 14 years and was his only release on the now-defunct Enigma Records. The album was released in 1990 with the featured single, "Lyin' to Myself." "Lyin' to Myself" was the first top-30 hit for David Cassidy in eighteen years...
(1990 US#136) - Didn't You Used to Be?Didn't You Used to be? (album)Didn't You Used to Be... was the only album David Cassidy released on Scotti Brothers Records. The album was released in 1992. Originally titled, Didn't You Used to be?, is David Cassidy's 9th studio album...
(1992) - Old Trick New DogOld Trick New Dog (album)Old Trick New Dog was a 1998 release from David Cassidy on his own Slamajama Records label. In addition to new songs, it also features several remakes of songs from The Partridge Family. The single lifted from the album - No Bridge I Wouldn't Cross - was an Adult Contemporary Top 20 hit in the USA...
(1996) - David Cassidy's Partridge Family Favorites (1998)
- When I'm a Rock 'n' Roll StarWhen I'm a Rock 'n' Roll StarWhen I'm a Rock 'n' Roll Star is an album by David Cassidy. Released on Razor and Tie Records in 1996 as RE 2117-2, it is a compilation of songs drawn from his three RCA Records albums recorded between 1975 and 1977: The Higher They Climb The Harder They Fall , Home Is Where the Heart Is , and...
(1998) - Then and Now (2001 UK#5)
- A Touch of Blue (2003 UK#61)
- David Cassidy Part II - The Remix (2007)
Musical albums
- Blood Brothers (1995)
- EFXEFX (cast album)EFX was a musical album released of David Cassidy's version of the Las Vegas show, EFX. The album was released in 1997 and only made available on compact disc through the MGM Grand Hotel...
(1997)
Discography (The Partridge Family)
- The Partridge Family AlbumThe Partridge Family AlbumThe Partridge Family Album is The Partridge Family's first album. It was released in 1970 and included their first recording, "I Think I Love You". It has a picture of the whole family on the back and a small picture of David Cassidy and Shirley Jones. The album cover is made to look like an...
(1970 US#4) - Up To DateUp to DateThe Partridge Family's second album, Up to Date, was released in February 1971. It contained such hits as "I'll Meet You Halfway" and "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted" ....
(1971 US#3 UK#46) - Sound MagazineSound MagazineSound Magazine was the third album from The Partridge Family. It was released on the Bell Records label in August 1971 and, like all of the Partridge Family recordings, was produced by Wes Farrell for Coral Rock Productions...
(1971 US#9 UK#14) - Christmas CardChristmas Card (album)A Partridge Family Christmas Card was originally released as a vinyl album of Christmas music released in 1971. The case of the album contains a reproduction of a Christmas card that was signed by the whole Partridge Family, the stars of a 1970s sitcom. The song "My Christmas Card to You" was...
(1971 UK#45) - Shopping BagShopping BagShopping Bag was released in 1972 by The Partridge Family. The vinyl release of the album contained a novelty plastic shopping bag. The album went gold and is now available on CD and iTunes....
(1972 US#18 UK#28) - At Home With Their Greatest HitsAt Home with Their Greatest HitsAt Home with Their Greatest Hits is a Partridge Family album. This album was made in 1972 and contained all previous hits. The only new song that was included in this album was "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do".-Side 1:...
(1972 US#21) - The Partridge Family NotebookThe Partridge Family NotebookThe Partridge Family Notebook was released in November 1972. It featured a cover that was similar to the standard school notebook. It contained a few cover versions of some classic songs such as "Walking in the Rain" written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, and Phil Spector.The album reached #41 on the...
(1972 US#41)
- Crossword PuzzleCrossword PuzzleFor the common puzzle, see CrosswordCrossword Puzzle was the second to last album made by The Partridge Family and was not one of the most popular albums. It was released in 1973 and did not produce a U.S. single. This album was finally released on CD in 2003 on Arista's BMG Heritage label...
(1973 US#167) - Bulletin BoardBulletin Board (album)Bulletin Board was the last studio album recorded by The Partridge Family and originally released by Bell Records. The album was recorded between July and September of 1973 and released in October of 1973. Bulletin Board was the first Partridge Family album to fail to chart on the Billboard 200...
(1973) - World of the Partridge FamilyWorld of the Partridge FamilyThe World of the Partridge Family was a compilation album made by The Partridge Family. This double album, the last Partridge Family album put out by Bell, features 20 already-released Partridge Family songs. This album was renumbered as Arista 4021 when Bell changed into Arista in 1976...
(1974) - Greatest HitsGreatest Hits (Partridge Family album)The Partridge Family's Greatest Hits album was issued by Arista in 1989. It was the first Partridge Family album to be issued on CD and included the second theme song to the television show, "Come on Get Happy"...
(1989) (first time on CD) - The Definitive CollectionThe Definitive Collection (Partridge Family album)The Definitive Collection was a 2001 compilation album of 11 Partridge Family and 9 David Cassidy songs. A longer version included four additional David Cassidy tracks.-Track listing:*David Cassidy solo tracks*...
(2001) - Come On Get Happy!: The Very Best of The Partridge FamilyCome On Get Happy!: The Very Best of The Partridge FamilyCome On, Get Happy!: The Very Best of The Partridge Family was a greatest hits compilation from The Partridge Family, released on May 3, 2005 in conjunction with the first season DVD collection. It contained some previously unreleased songs...
(2005)
Feature film filmography
- The Night The City Screamed (film) (1980)
- Instant KarmaInstant Karma (film)Instant Karma is a 1990 film. Craig Sheffer stars as Zane, a TV producer looking for romance.- Cast :* Craig Sheffer - Zane* Chelsea Noble - Penelope* David Cassidy - Reno* Glenn Hirsch - David* Orson Bean - Dr...
(1990) - The Spirit of '76 (1990)
- PopstarPopstar (film)Popstar is an American film that features teen singer Aaron Carter in his first and only lead role in a feature film. The direct-to-video film was directed by Richard Gabai and written by Timothy Barton; the film was released on November 8, 2005. The premiere was held in The Woodlands, Texas. It...
(2005)