David Cassidy

David Bruce Cassidy (April 12, 1950 – November 21, 2017) was an American actor and musician.

In 1956, he found out from neighbors' children that his parents had been divorced for over two years and had not told him.

In 1956, Cassidy's father married singer and actress Shirley Jones.

They had three children, David's half-brothers Shaun (b. 1958), Patrick (b. 1962), and Ryan (b. 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 lived.

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.

Cassidy's father, Jack, is credited with setting his son up with his first manager.

His career took off after signing with Universal Studios in 1969, leading to roles in several TV series.

After David Cassidy signed 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 and later represented Cassidy's half-brother Shaun.

Aarons became an authority figure and close friend to Cassidy and was the driving force behind his on-screen success.

After Cassidy made small wages from Screen Gems for his work on The Partridge Family during season one, Aarons discovered that he had been underage when he signed his contract; she then renegotiated the contract with far superior provisions and a rare four-year term.

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 television series Ironside, Marcus Welby, M.D., Adam-12, Medical Center, and Bonanza.

He was best known for his role as Keith Partridge, the son of Shirley Partridge (played by his real-life stepmother, actress Shirley Jones), in the 1970s musical-sitcom The Partridge Family.

This role catapulted Cassidy to teen idol status as a superstar pop singer of the 1970s.

Raised primarily by his maternal grandparents in West Orange, New Jersey, Cassidy was later informed of his parents' divorce, which had occurred two years prior without his knowledge.

After completing high school, Cassidy pursued acting and music, moving into his father and stepmother's home in Irvington, New York.

His major breakthrough came in 1970 as Keith Partridge on The Partridge Family, which propelled him to teen idol status.

Despite the show's success, Cassidy sought to break free from his idol image, leading to a diverse solo music career with hits in the UK and Australia, and a tumultuous life marked by public and personal challenges.

Cassidy's personal life was complex, with multiple marriages, children from relationships, and struggles with alcohol.

He became an advocate for Alzheimer's disease research, inspired by his family's history with the condition.

In 1970, Cassidy took the role of Keith Partridge on the musical television show The Partridge Family produced by Screen Gems.

After demonstrating his singing talent, Cassidy was allowed to join the studio ensemble as the lead singer.

(He and Shirley Jones were the only TV cast members to appear on any Partridge Family recordings.)

The show proved popular, but the fame took its toll on Cassidy.

In the midst of his rise to fame, Cassidy felt stifled by the show and trapped by the mass hysteria surrounding his every move.

In May 1972, to alter his public image, he appeared nude on the cover of Rolling Stone in a cropped Annie Leibovitz photo; among other things, the accompanying Rolling Stone article mentioned that Cassidy was riding around New York in the back of a car "stoned and drunk."

Once "I Think I Love You"—the first single released by The Partridge Family pop group—became a hit, Cassidy began work on solo albums, including Cherish and Rock Me Baby, both released in 1972.

Within the first year, he had produced his own single, a cover of The Association's "Cherish" (from the album of the same title); the song reached number nine in the United States, number two in the United Kingdom (a double A-side with "Could It Be Forever"), and number one in Australia and New Zealand.

He began tours that featured Partridge tunes and his own hits.

Cassidy achieved far greater solo chart success in the UK than in his native America, including a cover of The Young Rascals' "How Can I Be Sure" and the double A-side single "Daydreamer" / "The Puppy Song" – a UK number one which failed to chart in the States.

Despite facing health and legal issues later in life, Cassidy continued performing until announcing his retirement in 2017.

Cassidy was born at Flower Fifth Avenue Hospital in New York City, the son of singer and actor Jack Cassidy and actress Evelyn Ward.

His father was of half Irish and half German ancestry, and his mother was descended mostly from Colonial Americans, along with having some Irish and Swiss roots.

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.