David Cassidy on the Web
David Cassidy auctioning off costumes for charity after mother's death
March 21, 2013
By Randee Dawn
TODAY contributor
http://todayentertainment.today.com
Back in the 1970s, legions of screaming teenage fans would have loved to rip the clothes off of "Partridge Family" heartthrob David Cassidy. But come May 18, they'll be glad they didn't, because Cassidy will be auctioning off some of his beloved 1970s'-era stage costumes and some personal items in the hope of raising money for the Alzheimer's Association of America. He and Julien's Auctions executive director Martin Nolan joined TODAY's Savannah Guthrie and Natalie Morales Thursday to talk about the outfits -- and Cassidy's personal connection to the charity.
"My mother recently passed," said Cassidy. "She had severe dementia for over seven years, and in the end she was really not functioning at all ... she was 89." He added that many Americans know "how difficult it is for family members and friends, etc." who have the illness, and said he wanted 100 percent of the proceeds to go to the charity. He added that with baby boomers approaching their later years, "we just reached the very tiny tip of it, the iceberg" in likely Alzheimer's and dementia patients.
Cassidy spoke while sitting next to several of his outfits set to hit the block, many elaborately embroidered or fringed (Cassidy noted that many were made by one of Elvis' designers, Nudie Cohn) -- and all seemingly quite small.
"It's amazing what happens to your body as you get a little older," chuckled the singer. "I was probably 120 pounds at the time (I wore them) and I'm not sure I could fit into them (now)!"
The outfits (and other items to be auctioned off, including a rare Beatles guitar) will be on public exhibition from May 6-18 at New York's Hard Rock Cafe; they'll be auctioned on the 18th. And former teen fans can also see him touring with The Monkees' Micky Dolenz and Herman's Hermits' Peter Noone.
