Former teen heartthrob David Cassidy died yesterday. He was 67. Cassidy died surrounded by his family, his publicist said. Cassidy’s nephew tweeted that he didn’t think “I’m alone in saying that we will all miss him.”
“My uncle David Cassidy has sadly passed away tonight… & in the process of mourning I can’t help but thank God for the joy that he brought to countless millions of people! I don’t think I’m alone in saying that we will all miss him. God Speed!”
Cassidy was born in 1950 to singer and actor Jack Cassidy and actress Evelyn Ward. His big break came at age 20 when he nabbed the role of Keith Partridge, one of the singing kids of “The Partridge Family,” alongside his real-life stepmother Shirley Jones. It ran from 1970-74, providing a feel-good, family show as the country struggled to find its footing after the tumultuous 1960s.
While “The Partridge Family” was never a huge hit in the ratings, the show excelled in tie-ins and producing hit songs. The theme song “Come On, Get Happy” became a hit, and the cast would later go on to make ten albums, all of which sold more than 1 million copies.
Later in life, Cassidy struggled with alcoholism and money troubles. He said he began drinking in 2002, and he was arrested several times for DUIs and sent through several rehab stints. He told CNN in 2014 that he was an alcoholic.
Eventually, he publicly announced he was suffering from dementia after he forgot the lyrics to some of his songs onstage. He said he wanted to focus on health and happiness for the remainder of his life.
“I was in denial, but a part of me always knew this was coming,” he told People magazine about his diagnosis. His mother had suffered from the disease.
SOURCE: CBS News
