From a Force To Be Reckon with PowerPoint segments This one is about David Cassidy.

1. DAVID CASSIDY – A
FORCE TO BE
RECKON WITH
BY SUSAN GRAHAM

2. ORIGINS
• BORN ON APRIL 12, 1950 DAVID BRUCE CASSIDY IS THE SON OF LEGENDARY ACTORS JACK CASSIDY AND ACTRESS EVELYN
WARD. HIS FATHER WAS OF HALF-IRISH AND HALF-GERMAN ANCESTRY, AND HIS MOTHER WAS OF MOSTLY COLONIAL
AMERICAN DESCENT, ALONG WITH SMALLER AMOUNTS OF IRISH AND SWISS. SOME OF HIS MOTHER'S ANCESTORS WERE
AMONG THE FOUNDERS OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.
• 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 SINGER AND ACTRESS, SHIRLEY JONES, AND THREE HALF-BROTHERS WERE BORN: SHAUN
(1958), PATRICK (1962) AND RYAN (1966). IN 1968, AFTER COMPLETING ONE FINAL SESSION OF SUMMER SCHOOL TO
OBTAIN CREDITS NECESSARY TO GET A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, DAVID MOVED INTO THE RENTAL HOME OF JACK CASSIDY
AND SHIRLEY JONES IN IRVINGTON, NEW YORK, WHERE HIS HALF-BROTHERS ALSO RESIDED. DAVID REMAINED THERE
SEEKING FAME AS AN ACTOR/MUSICIAN WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY WORKING HALF-DAYS IN THE MAILROOM OF A TEXTILE
FIRM. HE MOVED OUT WHEN HIS CAREER BEGAN TO FLOURISH.

3. FIRST SUCCESS
• CASSIDY'S FATHER JACK IS CREDITED WITH SETTING HIS SON UP WITH HIS FIRST
MANAGER. AFTER SIGNING WITH UNIVERSAL STUDIOS IN 1969, JACK INTRODUCED
HIM TO FORMER TABLE TENNIS CHAMPION AND CLOSE FRIEND RUTH AARONS, WHO
LATER FOUND HER NICHE AS A TALENT MANAGER, GIVEN HER THEATER
BACKGROUND. AARONS HAD REPRESENTED JACK AND SHIRLEY JONES FOR SEVERAL
YEARS PRIOR, AND WOULD LATER REPRESENT CASSIDY'S HALF-BROTHER SHAUN.
AARONS BECAME AN AUTHORITY FIGURE AND CLOSE FRIEND TO CASSIDY, AND
WOULD PROVE TO BE THE FIGHTING FORCE BEHIND HIS ON-SCREEN SUCCESS. AFTER
MAKING SMALL WAGES FROM SCREEN GEMS FOR HIS WORK ON THE PARTRIDGE
FAMILY DURING SEASON ONE, AARONS DISCOVERED A LOOPHOLE IN HIS CONTRACT
AND RENEGOTIATED IT WITH FAR SUPERIOR TERMS, AND A FOUR-YEAR DURATION,
A RARE STIPULATION AT THE TIME.

4. LEADER OF THE TEEN TITANS OF 1970’S
ENTERTAINMENT
• ON JANUARY 2, 1969, CASSIDY MADE HIS PROFESSIONAL DEBUT IN THE BROADWAY MUSICAL THE FIG LEAVES ARE FALLING.
IT CLOSED AFTER FOUR 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. 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 THE 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 NO. 9 IN THE US, NO. 2 IN THE UK AND NO.1 IN
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. HE BEGAN TOURS THAT FEATURED PARTRIDGE TUNES AND HIS OWN HITS. THOUGH HE
STROVE TO BECOME A RESPECTED ROCK MUSICIAN ALONG THE LINES OF MICK JAGGER OR ALICE COOPER, HIS CHANNEL TO
STARDOM LAUNCHED HIM INTO THE RANKS OF TEEN IDOL, A BRAND HE LOATHED UNTIL MUCH LATER IN LIFE WHEN HE
MANAGED TO COME TO TERMS WITH HIS BUBBLEGUM POP BEGINNINGS.

5. RISE OF SUCCESS
• TEN ALBUMS BY THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY AND FIVE SOLO ALBUMS WERE PRODUCED DURING THE SHOW WITH MOST SELLING MORE THAN A
MILLION COPIES EACH. INTERNATIONALLY, CASSIDY'S SOLO CAREER ECLIPSED THE ALREADY PHENOMENAL SUCCESS OF THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY.
HE BECAME AN INSTANT DRAWCARD WITH SPECTACULAR SELLOUT CONCERT 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 STADIUM 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.
CASSIDY PERFORMING IN HAMBURG, 1973
• A TURNING POINT IN HIS LIVE 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, ALTHOUGH HE
SPOKE TO WHELAN'S PARENTS AND SENT FLOWERS. CASSIDY STATED AT THE TIME THAT THIS WOULD HAUNT HIM UNTIL THE DAY HE DIED

6. POST PARTRIDGE LIFE
• 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, GERMANY AND JAPAN, WHEN HE RELEASED THREE WELL-RECEIVED SOLO ALBUMS ON RCA IN 1975 AND 1976. CASSIDY BECAME THE FIRST RECORDING ARTIST 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. (A DECADE LATER, THE SUCCESSFUL FOX SERIES 21 JUMP STREET USED THE SAME PLOT, WITH DIFFERENT YOUTHFUL-LOOKING POLICE OFFICERS INFILTRATING A HIGH SCHOOL.)
• N 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. 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 ENIGMA RECORDS. 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 1995, HE HOSTED THE
VH1 SHOW 8-TRACK FLASHBACK, WHICH RAN UNTIL 1998. 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, 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.

7. POST-PARTRIDGE LIFE
• CASSIDY'S FIRST WIFE WAS ACTRESS KAY LENZ, WHOM HE MARRIED ON APRIL 3, 1977, AND DIVORCED ON
DECEMBER 28, 1983,[ ALTHOUGH ONE REFERENCE CLAIMS 1982.
• HIS SECOND WIFE WAS HORSE BREEDER MERYL TANZ, WHOM HE MARRIED IN 1984.[1] THEY MET IN 1974 AT A
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY HORSE SALE. THIS MARRIAGE ENDED IN 1985, OR 1986 .
• HE HAS A DAUGHTER, ACTRESS KATIE CASSIDY, BORN IN 1986, FROM A RELATIONSHIP WITH SHERRY WILLIAMS
BENEDON.
• CASSIDY MARRIED SUE SHIFRIN ON MARCH 30, 1991, HIS THIRD AND HER SECOND MARRIAGE. THEY HAD ONE
CHILD, BEAU, IN 1991. IN AUGUST 2013, CASSIDY'S LOS ANGELES PUBLICIST CONFIRMED THAT THE COUPLE WERE
SEPARATED, WITH SHIFRIN FILING FOR DIVORCE IN FEBRUARY 2014.
• CASSIDY WAS FEATURED ON THE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2013 COVER OF MAKING MUSIC MAGAZINE TO DISCUSS HIS
LIFE AND CAREER

8. HEARTACHE AND PAIN THROUGH THE YEARS
• IN 2008, CASSIDY PUBLICLY ADMITTED HE HAD AN ALCOHOL PROBLEM HE WAS ARRESTED FOR DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE IN FLORIDA ON
NOVEMBER 3, 2010, AND WAS ARRESTED FOR DUI A SECOND TIME IN SCHODACK, NEW YORK IN THE EARLY HOURS OF AUGUST 21, 2013. HE WAS
PULLED OVER AFTER FAILING TO DIM HIS HEADLIGHTS AS HE PASSED A POLICE CAR GOING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. AFTER PERFORMING
POORLY ON A FIELD SOBRIETY TEST, CASSIDY WAS SUBJECTED TO AN ALCOHOL BREATH TEST RETURNING A BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL OF 0.10,
WHICH IS ABOVE THE NEW YORK STATE LEGAL LIMIT OF 0.08. THE ARRESTING OFFICER, NAMED TOM JONES, REPORTED THAT CASSIDY WAS
POLITE AND COURTEOUS, AND JOKINGLY ASKED OFFICER JONES "WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT?" IN REFERENCE TO THE 1965 HIT SONG BY THE SINGER
TOM JONES. CASSIDY WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CHARGED, TAKEN TO JAIL, AND RELEASED SEVERAL HOURS LATER ON $2,500 BAIL. HE FACED FELONY
CHARGES BECAUSE OF HIS PRIOR DUI IN FLORIDA IN 2010. ON MAY 12, 2015, CASSIDY WAS SENTENCED, ON THE CHARGE OF DRIVING WHILE
INTOXICATED FROM 2013 IN NEW YORK, TO COMMUNITY SERVICE, A FINE AND OTHER CONSEQUENCES INCLUDING A SUSPENDED LICENSE FOR 6
MONTHS.
• CASSIDY WAS ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF DUI IN CALIFORNIA ON JANUARY 10, 2014 AFTER HE MADE AN ILLEGAL RIGHT TURN AGAINST A RED
LIGHT. HE WAS HELD OVERNIGHT IN JAIL. IN THAT CASE, HE WAS ORDERED TO GO TO INPATIENT REHAB AND WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR FIVE
YEARS.
• CASSIDY WAS CITED IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA ON CHARGES OF LEAVING THE SCENE OF A CAR ACCIDENT, EXPIRED TAGS, IMPROPER LANE
CHANGE AND DRIVING ON A SUSPENDED LICENSE (HIS LICENSE WAS SUSPENDED FOR 6 MONTHS IN THE MAY 2015 SENTENCING OF THE NEW
YORK CASE) ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2015

9. TURBULENT HEARTACHES AND PAIN
• DAVID CASSIDY CLAIMED THAT HIS FATHER WAS BISEXUAL, CITING ATTRIBUTED
PERSONAL ACCOUNTS AND REPORTS, BOTH ANECDOTAL AND PUBLISHED, OF HIS
FATHER'S SAME-SEX AFFAIRS, A FACT NEITHER HE NOR HIS SIBLINGS DISCOVERED
UNTIL AFTER HIS DEATH. IN HER 2013 MEMOIR, SHIRLEY JONES HIS STEPMOTHER
AND PARTRIDGE FAMILY CO-STAR ALSO MENTOR CONFIRMS THAT CASSIDY HAD
MANY SAME-SEX AFFAIRS, INCLUDING ONE WITH COLE PORTER.
• DAVID WROTE THAT HE BECAME INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT HIS FATHER IN
THE LAST YEARS OF HIS LIFE. CASSIDY SUFFERED FROM BIPOLAR DISORDER AND WAS
AN ALCOHOLIC, WHO WAS DISPLAYING INCREASINGLY ERRATIC BEHAVIOR. IN 1974,
HIS NEIGHBORS WERE SHOCKED TO SEE HIM WATERING HIS FRONT LAWN NAKED IN
THE MIDDLE OF THE AFTERNOON

10. BANKRUPTION, DESTRUCTION, CHICKS, AND
THE BOOZE
• CASSIDY HAS LIVED IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA SINCE 2002. HE FILED FOR
BANKRUPTCY IN 2015.

11. LEGACY
There a few cats out here who say
David’s legacy is tarnished but I
disagree with that. Many Teen
Idols from the past to present
have their own issues assuring
everyone that we’re all human.
This man deserves more credit
and we must work together in
order to succeed.
This cat belongs in the R&R Hall
of Fame and we must make this
happen.
I strongly believe David Cassidy’s
legacy will endure .