David Cassidy in the News
Cassidy remembers 'World War III'
September 17, 2002
The Age (Australia)
Partridge Family heart throb David Cassidy admits he had some strange memories of Australia.
Like the way it felt being thrown and huddled into the boot of a car.
It was a popular way for Cassidy to be transported between venues and media conferences as crazed fans flocked to his car.
Then there was the time Cassidy awoke to black smoke in his hotel after an air conditioning unit caught fire.
But Cassidy said this was not the reason for his 28-year absence from the country where he broke box office records in the 70s.
"They described it as World War III," Cassidy remembered the time he played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
"The fans were just extraordinary and the shows were unbelievable.
Cassidy, who now lives in Las Vegas with his wife and son, shot to fame as a teenager in The Partridge Family in 1970, and became the highest paid solo artist by age 21.
But unlike other teenage stars, the 52-year-old survived the attention and fame he acquired so quickly. One of his main motivations to go on tour 32 years after his musical debut was to prove his success and fame was no fluke.
"In the end the good stuff survives. It's talent that survives," Cassidy told reporters today.
"I can't say that there wasn't a sense of relief saying `see I told you'."
Cassidy is now back in Australia after a quarter of a century to promote his Then and Now album concert tour which starts in November.
Then and Now, released earlier this month, is a re-recording of all Cassidy's original hits like I love You and C'mon Get Happy.
"For me it's like opening up a chest and you find all these beautiful jewels, these songs, great songs," Cassidy said.
And while times have changed since his first performances, his fans still had the same spirit, Cassidy said.
"Their voices may have dropped an octave but they still scream shout and sweat ... it's the same energy and it's powerful and fantastic," Cassidy said.
Cassidy plays his first concert in Wollongong on November 7, then performances will follow in Brisbane, Melbourne, Newcastle, Sydney, Adelaide and winds up in Perth on November 21.
