' On Valentines Day 2023 something amazing happened.....David Cassidy was trending on Twitter. "Wow!! you say, how does that happen?" It happens when interests are sparked and people want to know all there is to know about someone or something. Interests were sparked about the one and only David Cassidy. The David Cassidy that made teenagers swoon, scream, pass out and go into hysterics during the 70's. David Cassidy seemed to be a Jack of all trades when it came to entertainment. TV, theater, movies, and a musical career, and that should not be a surprise. David Cassidy, was the only child of Jack Cassidy and Evelyn Ward. It should be no surprise that David would also have entertainment in his blood with parents like that.
David's career was a lengthy one....starting in the 1960's. As a young man he dabbled in theater and started teaching himself how to play several different musical instruments: drums, guitar, piano, and harmonica to name a few. David enjoyed playing in his garage band "The Pains of Glass" which was not one of his best from his description in his Auto Biography, " C'mon Get Happy: Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus." David had his start in community theater and that was the beginning of 50 years of amazing performances from David, be it on the stage or musically. It doesn't take long to realize that David was cut from a different type of fabric. The Partridge Family TV Executives could not have had any idea the fame that David was getting ready to experience and I am sure David had no idea either. Taping during the day hours, recording the albums at night, touring, and singing on the weekend kept him very busy and after awhile, very burnt out. David did love seeing his fans and performing for them but he had to keep his distance from them. His fans loved him but they were not safe to be around, groups of hysterical fans could very easily hurt him and anyone near by. The fans did not really want to hurt him but the excitement of being near him, touching him, and talking to him drove them crazy. Unlike today; social media makes our celebrity crushes more assessable, although in the 1970's it was very important to get as close as possible when you had the chance....hence the hysteria. David did several solo albums for RCA after the Partridge Family rage, but he was changing and his life was changing too. Time for a break for David, he took and short time off to rest and rethink his career. The 1980's brought David into a more laid back time. David was a very avid horse person also. He enjoyed going to the track; hands on and watching the horses. David owned several horses and bred them as well. The 80's also brought more changes for David, living in the UK at this time David did one album titled " Romance" released in 1985 but it was not released in the United States. David's Romance album fit right into the mainstream music that was being produced in the United States by other artists of the 80's, alas the US would not get to enjoy the Romance album. David took some time away from the music industry to pursue his acting once again. David's complete listings of his Theatrical performances start as early as 1960. (The Pajama Game 1960) (And So To Bed 1965) (The Figs Leaves Are Falling Jan.2-4 1969) (Voice Of The Turtle, August 1-7,1979.) (Little Johnny Jones, May 1-October 24, 1981) (Tribute, June 2-August 1, 1982) (Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, March- September 10, 1983) (Jesus Christ Superstar, August 6-12,1984) ( Time, April 13-October 1987) ( Blood Brothers, November 1993- June 1994) (EFX, November 1996 - December 1998) (David Cassidy at the Copa, January 18, 2000-January 21,2001) (The Rat Pack is Back, July 18th 1999 into the 2000s). The 90s and 2000s brought David back to his album recording and doing live shows again. David's first recording in 1990 was his self titled album from Enigma Records, the self titled album stayed on the charts for 12 weeks and peaked at number 136. 1992 came the recording of "Didn't You Used To Be" and also a mass undertaking of promotions and marketing for the album. David would return to his theatrical performing after the upset of the 1990-1992 albums. David's record companies were not very stable for one reason or another and they just never delivered for him. We could go on for hours going over Davids ups and downs of his career. David did release a few more albums before his death in 2017. "Then and Now" 2001..... "A Touch of Blue" 2003. Several albums thru out the years were released as greatest hits or Best of Albums. David's very last recording was made during his 2017 filming of the A&E Special...."Songs My Father Taught Me", this was an EP release only. In closing I want to thank everyone for taking the time to read the blog and I hope that I have provided some interesting information on David for you . Lisa Bailey-Owens Statistical information came from the Official David Cassidy Website www.davidcassidy.com
3 Comments
2/17/2023 10:49:21 pm
Lisa, this is such a comprehensive, respectful look at David's body of work. Thank you so much! I will always regret that i was living in New York City at the time he was performing in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and I did not get tickets to see him in it. At the time, early 80s, I knew nothing of him except he had been on Partridge Family and I had not been a regular watcher let alone a big fan of PF. I lived not far from his theater! I make up for it now by appreciating his extensive talents and his good character.
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Sharron liddle
2/18/2023 01:01:29 am
Lisa , Thank you for writing this blog , outlining Davids career. It’s so important to remember just how talented and versatile David truly was. Too many articles have been published about David that don’t even include his achievements and as a lifelong fan from the Uk , it warms my heart to see David’s fans , 5 long years after his passing, still remembering David for everything he accomplished.
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Peggy Gallagher
2/19/2023 09:24:03 pm
So loved Both the Cassidy boys just a wee little one when I watched them. Come to find out a few years ago. awe are related. My grandparents from Ireland and Scotland the uk immigrated everywhere. I believe we are related through his mother's side the Wards. My father's brothers godparents ward too Wards and Cassidy in our DNA so not sure how we are related.
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