David Cassidy on the Web
David Cassidy playing New Brunswick
January 9, 2015
By Ed Condron
http://www.app.com
While promoting his recent Christmas tour, Donny Osmond recalled what it was like dealing with unrelenting fans back during the early 1970s when he was a teen idol.
"It was too much," Osmond recalled. "These fans would never stop. It might sound incredible, but it really was a nightmare. You never knew who was hiding in your hotel room. Few people ever understood where I'm coming from on this."
David Cassidy, who will perform tonight in New Brunswick at the State Theatre, lived through the surreal experience as a teen pinup in the golden age of "Tiger Beat." "I get it," Cassidy said. "There was only a few of us who truly dealt with that pandemonium. I'm not complaining. It was great to have such rabid fans, but the adulation was mind-bending."
Cassidy's success was off the charts. The West Orange native, who made his professional debut on Broadway in 1969, became a monster.
The handsome entertainer, who is also a genuinely talented singer-songwriter-actor, rose to the top since he's a multi-dimensional threat. Cassidy is smart, charming and adept at engaging the audience.
"David was wise beyond his years," Friday Morning Quarterback founder and editor Kal Rudman said. "He also had it all."
Cassidy, 64, sold out Madison Square Garden in minutes 40 years ago. Riots erupted when fans learned the show was SRO. The hysteria in Australia was so severe at that time that the government recommended deporting Cassidy. His sitcom "The Partridge Family" was a huge hit. Most of the 10 Partridge Family albums and his five solo albums went platinum plus.
Many recording artists dream of such success, but there was one thing missing. "I was hoping to have a little more respect," Cassidy said. "I was hoping fans would get where I was coming from. I had a deep blues influence. I loved Jimi Hendrix, Albert King and Muddy Waters. What I was inspired by was very different from the pop hits my fans knew. It's not a complaint. I'm so thankful things went so well for me. But there was more to me than meets the eye."
Cassidy has no problem with the reality that fans expect him to perform the classic hits he wrote as a teen at the twilight of his career. So expect him to deliver such smash hits as "I Think I Love You" and "I Woke Up In Love This Morning." "I have no problem playing what's familiar," Cassidy said. "It's a good thing when someone comes to your show and they want to hear certain songs. When you see Elton John, you want to hear 'Your Song.' You have to play songs the fans have a relationship with."
The industry has changed dramatically and Cassidy understands that, unlike some of his peers. "I heard Rod Stewart talking about how radio doesn't play him anymore," Cassidy said. "That's the way it is now. The world of entertainment is completely fragmented. It's difficult for most over 25 to get airplay. It's such a different world than it was back when we had three television stations and AM radio when you might hear Tony Bennett followed by Led Zeppelin. You can look back and wonder, but it doesn't make sense to look back in anger. I'm thankful for the career I had back in the day and that I can still go out there and tour now."
DAVID CASSIDY
WHEN: 8 tonight
WHERE: The State Theatre, 15 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick
TICKETS: $35 to $85
