Actor and singer David Cassidy, 67, perhaps best known for appearing with his then-stepmother Shirley Jones in the ABC 1970s sitcom The Partridge Family, has died. It wasn't unexpected. He had been in the hospital and reports had him in grim condition.
Earlier this year Cassidy had said he was suffering from dementia. His mother, Evelyn Ward, was stricken with dementia, not Alzheimer's, and David had taken care of her in her final years. One of his grandfathers also suffered from dementia.
Cassidy also wrestled with alcohol and substance abuse problems. He was much like his tragic father, Jack Cassidy. His father was an enormously talented actor, had been married for years to Shirley Jones, but his self-destructive streak ruined that relationship. He died in a fire in 1976, caused by a cigarette igniting his apartment when he fell asleep.
All in all David Cassidy had a tragic life and died before his time.
I never watched The Partridge Family when it ran on television. It was loosely based on the life of the family rock group The Cowsills. There were a number of tragedies that happened with that group as well.
New York Times:
Mr. Cassidy was born in New Jersey to the actors Jack Cassidy and Evelyn Wood and moved to California as a teenager. He struggled in school but began taking small parts in plays and on television, eventually leading to his big break on “The Partridge Family.”
Mr. Cassidy worked on several other television series. A 1978 appearance on “Police Story” earned him an Emmy Award nomination, and he was fired by Donald J. Trump on “The Apprentice” in 2011.
Mr. Cassidy was married and divorced three times. He is survived by his son Beau, a musician; his daughter Katie, an actress; his Partridge Family co-star and real-life stepmother, Shirley Jones; and three half brothers: Patrick, Ryan and Shaun.
Here is an interview from earlier this year where he talks about his dementia diagnosis:
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