ACTOR
David Cassidy
43 archived facts 3 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (43)
- #001
Of the roughly $500 million earned by The Partridge Family (1970), David Cassidy was initially paid $600 a week, though he commanded more than $50,000 per concert. His renegotiated contract raised his weekly salary to $6,000 a week plus a share of the profits.
- #002
At his peak, Cassidy was the highest-paid live entertainer in the world, and his official fan club was the largest in pop history, surpassing those of Elvis Presley and The Beatles.
- #003
His daughter Katie Cassidy posted on the social media site Twitter: "My father's last words were 'so much wasted time.' This will be a daily reminder for me to share my gratitude with those I love and to not waste another minute… thank you Dad."
- #004
He was a close friend of John Lennon, whom he greatly admired.
- #005
His acting mentor was his real-life former stepmother Shirley Jones, with whom he had a wonderful relationship both in real life and while working on The Partridge Family (1970). He admitted he had been in love with Shirley since he was 6 years old, when his family took him to see the film Oklahoma! (1955).
- #006
At the height of his reign as a teen idol, David led an anti-smoking campaign despite being a smoker himself. It was largely a response to the death of his father Jack, which occurred when Jack accidentally dropped a lit cigarette onto a couch and started a fire that destroyed the apartment, with Jack inside.
- #007
He decided to leave The Partridge Family (1970) after the fourth season, seemingly because he was tired of the role and wanted to work on other projects, but also because of a tragic crowd crush at one of his 1974 UK concerts. Cassidy was rushed by an out-of-control crowd, leaving more than six hundred British fans seriously injured, including a teenage girl who died four days later.
- #008
A 14-year-old fan, Bernadette Whelan, died of heart failure on 30 May 1974 from injuries sustained while attending a Cassidy show at London's White City Stadium on 26 May. Six hundred and fifty fans were injured in the crush. Cassidy was so affected that he quit both the tour and The Partridge Family (1970).
- #009
After his death, there was no public memorial or funeral service. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at a racetrack.
- #010
He was the son of actress Evelyn Ward and actor Jack Cassidy.
- #011
When the bubble burst, he lost a great deal of money by investing heavily in the 1990s dot-com boom.
- #012
He was the older half-brother of Shaun Cassidy, Ryan Cassidy and Patrick Cassidy.
- #013
He ranked 6th on VH1's list of the 100 Greatest Teen Stars.
- #014
He sued Sony for several million dollars over the profits from The Partridge Family, but was awarded only $158,000 in damages.
- #015
He ranked 1st on TV Guide's "TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols" list (23 January 2005 issue).
- #016
He was Danny Bonaduce's best friend.
- #017
In 2008, David Cassidy publicly admitted that he had struggled with alcoholism for much of his life and had undergone treatment in rehabilitation three separate times because of the illness. Two years later, as if to underscore that announcement, Cassidy was arrested for driving under the influence in Florida on November 3.
- #018
Ironically, for a teen idol whose appearance sparked riots in the 1970s, his final UK tour in 2015 earned a profit of only £408. That same year he filed for bankruptcy.
- #019
Both he and his stepmother, the actress-singer Shirley Jones, appeared on the cover of the prestigious Life magazine at the age of 21. He did so in 1971, and she in early 1956.
- #020
At the age of 11 he underwent surgery on his left optic nerve for a blood vessel that had wrapped around it, which sometimes left him with a "lazy" eye when he was overly tired. He also had his gallbladder removed in 1972 after a concert in Wildwood, New Jersey.
- #021
In 1987 he appeared in the play "Time" in London alongside Laurence Olivier. It was Olivier's final stage performance (though he had appeared in a previously filmed segment).
- #022
He ranked 98th on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists list.
- #023
He was the lead vocalist and lead guitarist of The Partridge Family (1970).
- #024
Before moving to live in Las Vegas, NV, Cassidy and his family lived for several years in Ridgefield, a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
- #025
He said that his mother, Evelyn Ward, who had dementia, knew him before she died, with a single tear in her eye.
- #026
He was allergic to garlic.
- #027
In his later years he had hair transplants several times.
- #028
His mother, Evelyn Ward, died on December 23, 2012, at the age of 89.
- #029
He was friends with Larry Hagman and Larry Manetti.
- #030
He is best known to the public for the role of Keith Partridge in The Partridge Family (1970).
- #031
He is mentioned in Tori Amos's song "Jackie's Strength."
- #032
A former pop idol, he won 18 gold records and then left the pop world in 1974 to live in Hawaii and focus on horses after marrying Meryl Tanz, a racehorse breeder, to whom he was married for 10 years.
- #033
He was a fan of Julie London's music.
- #034
His father was of half Irish and half German descent. His mother was mainly of Colonial American (English) descent, with smaller amounts of Irish and Swiss-German roots.
- #035
His voice was developed on some of Jim Haas's songs.
- #036
In the late 1980s, he underwent therapy for his alcoholism three times a week for three years.
- #037
He was a lifelong supporter of the Democratic Party.
- #038
He was the uncle of Jack Cassidy (born Edward John Joseph Cassidy), Caitlin Cassidy and John Cassidy (born Joseph Edward John Cassidy).
- #039
He was the former stepson of Elliot Silverstein.
- #040
He, Sue and Beau lived in Ft Lauderdale, Florida.
- #041
He said his father Jack Cassidy was jealous of his success and resentful.
- #042
He was the former stepbrother-in-law of Ann Pennington and Janice Pennington.
- #043
He was of German and Irish descent.
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