David Cassidy on the Web
The Artist Beyond The Teen Idol: David Cassidy
Birthday Shout-Out to A Misunderstood Talent
April 13, 2023
By Johnny j. Blair
johnnyjblair.substack.com
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the late, great David Cassidy.
As I grew up and into the world of showbiz, I grew out of shape-shifting peer-oriented "likes/dislikes” and expanded my musical vocabulary. I accepted "fresh data" and became better at recognizing great quality music, no matter who is doing it. These factors over-rule the transience of hipsterism.
The Partridge Family first hit when I was around 13, and they were pungently un-hipster for me. Back then I dismissed their music as pre-teen twaddle with some passable TV comedy (actually, if you leaned on me, I’d admit the show was pretty funny). Today when I listen to The Partridge Family, I now hear the A-list songwriters who wrote for them, backed by the venerable Wrecking Crew, and sung by a very talented singer with great range—David Cassidy.
He had an astonishing resume as an actor, collaborator, and songwriter. His career intersected with The Beach Boys, The Eagles, Sheena Easton, John Lennon, Mick Ronson, and Alan Tarney. Cassidy’s songs have been covered by Cher and Heart—here’s “Prayin’ 4 a Miracle,” a song he co-wrote with John Wetton for the band Asia.
“Blind Hope” is one of many excellent deep cuts in the Cassidy catalogue. His records sold millions (solo and with Partridge Family), and at one point his fan club was larger than fan clubs for The Beatles and Elvis Presley, but he wanted to break away from his teen idol image. Yet, internationally, his concerts became riotously huge, causing officials in Australia and England to consider deporting him! Then in 1975 a girl died at one of his shows, which broke his heart and added another reason for him to take a leave from Cassidy-Mania.
Everything he did post-Keith Partridge (records, theatre, TV shows) was of high quality and reached people around the world (show in photo L-R, my friends Vance Brescia, DC, Wayne Avers, and Micky Dolenz):
Cassidy came into my professional circle around 1998, and I'm grateful to have had at least a few times with him, on stage and off. He was a very empathetic person who, despite his life experience with “celebrity,” seemed at odds with the trappings of fame. He just wanted to watch baseball and jam on a guitar.
I'm in 12-Step Recovery and we all prayed he'd find the tools to overcome. On this note, here's a video of the last time Davy Jones (Monkees) and David Cassidy performed together (who knew?), and I'm glad to have been a part of that...
Meanwhile, HB DC and thank you for your voice.
