Remembering David Cassidy

• David Cassidy, a pop culture idol of the 1970s, thanks to his star-making role on The Partridge Family, died Tuesday in a Florida hospital at the age of 67. As Variety reports, Cassidy had been hospitalized for several days suffering from organ failure. Earlier this year Cassidy announced he had been diagnosed with dementia. Cassidy’s longtime publicist JoAnn Geffen confirmed the actor/singer’s death, with a statement from his family that read, “On behalf of the entire Cassidy family, it is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, our uncle, and our dear brother, David Cassidy. David died surrounded by those he loved, with joy in his heart and free from the pain that had gripped him for so long. Thank you for the abundance and support you have shown him these many years.”

Cassidy was part of a show business family that included his father, Tony-winning actor Jack Cassidy, stepmother Shirley Jones (who played his mother on The Partridge Family), half-brother Shaun Cassidy and daughter, actress Katie Cassidy.

Raised in New Jersey, Cassidy moved to Los Angeles in 1969. The following year, after signing with Universal, Cassidy landed the role of older brother Keith Partridge on the ABC sitcom, The Partridge Family, which ran from 1970 to 1974 and was loosely based on real-life family musical act, The Cowsills. Cassidy and Jones were the only cast members who were allowed to actually sing; the other kids lip-synced, while the Wrecking Crew provided musical backup. The show’s theme song, “C’mon Get Happy” became one of TV’s most enduring songs, and helped launch Cassidy’s musical career. In the decades that followed, Cassidy continued to perform in Las Vegas and tour, but he struggled with alcoholism and arrested several times for DUIs. He filed for bankruptcy in 2015. Cassidy is survived by his stepmother, Shirley Jones, half-brothers Shaun, Patrick and Ryan; daughter Katie Cassidy and son, Beau Cassidy.