Last week I was idly wandering around YouTube (as you do) and I stumbled on a clip (I think it may have been from MTV) where mothers and their teen daughters rated teen idols from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Some of them caused surprise, embarrassment and derision (Bay City Rollers and Donny Osmond, for example) but top of the list for moms AND their teen daughters was David Cassidy. He won hands down with both generations. I was really surprised that teenagers today think he is as gorgeous as their mothers did in the 1970s.
I think I developed my giant crush on David Cassidy from him being on The Partridge Family in 1970, when I was 9. David Bowie came a few years later – 1973 or so. Interestingly, all the men I have loved in my life have been slight and androgynous with crooked incisors beside their two front teeth. Every single one of them! I wonder if the two Davids are the reason why? Or maybe that love was in me already.
David Bowie managed to grow and change with his audience and even attract new fans as he got older, ending up with global fame that lasted over 50 years and is still going strong. Cassidy on the other hand, did not manage to translate well across the ages, and is now rather an unfortunate example of what happens when you get fame so young. Recent interviews are desperately sad more than anything. So many huge acts from those days were exploited terribly by the big music companies who worked them to the bone and made millions on merchandise. Nowadays with YouTube and social media as platforms for artists to break through, the traditional music companies have to work harder for their money, which I think is a good thing.
When young though, Cassidy did have a very underrated voice. We teenyboppers used to love his quiet, shy manner and his breathy, powdery voice, whether he was speaking or singing. He was so pretty. And he could actually sing. He had a great voice. One forgets now, because he has not been a huge name for so long, how huge his fame actually was in the early 1970s. The pressure of the workload, the fame and the adoration of the fans must have been even greater because he was a solo artist. Most other teen idols are in bands. Watching him at the press conference after a fan died at one of his concerts, you can see how desperately young he was, how numb from shock. I wouldn’t have that kind of fame if you paid me millions. It isolates you, stunts you emotionally.
Looking at these photos, I realised I had totally forgotten how beautiful he actually was. We used to love his shiny,bouncy feathery hair, his white, slightly crooked teeth, his enormous smile, his gorgeous eyes, and his breathy voice. And they actually are as attractive today as they were then. Unlike BCR when you look at them and think ‘oh my goodness, what was I thinking?’
There are also always lots of Partridge Family videos on YouTube (though I bought the whole series on DVD very cheap from Amazon a few years ago). Despite his status as a sex symbol with half the world in love with him, David as Keith Partridge was a bit of a klutz who didn’t have any luck with girls, was bullied, and failed Sex Education, which I still think is great. Even Farrah Fawcett and Jodie Foster were guests on the show. Looking at it now, it was not very good, but then many of the series and films we loved when we were young do not fare well when viewed as an adult. They bring back so many memories that I really do enjoy rewatching them! Oh to be young again! We all used to wear little knitted tank tops and puka shell necklaces, just like Keith Partridge did!
I used to wait for Jackie magazine (above) every week, so that I could complete my posters. One quarter of the poster used to be in the midddle of Jackie each week, so that after a month you’d have this HUGE picture for your wall. My wall was so full you could not see paint anywhere. David Bowie, David Cassidy, Donny Osmond and The Jackson Five.
I guess things are different now as you can follow them on social media and just download and save your own pictures whenever you want. I used to like the wait though – more exciting that way!
The video clip below gives a small insight into how crazy things were for him in the early 70s.
Hey Janet, loved your devotion to gorgeous and talented David! But did you know, that whole new Generations are into him, now, like crazy? Just check out the comments on most of his YouTube’s videos from the 70s!!! Wow! He’s as huge as ever on Facebook and YouTube! Also, the show, The Partridge Family, is now WIDELY regarded as the best Situation Comedy ever made in history!! It was not only VERY GOOD, bit it was and is, AMAZING!!! Just check out a lot of the comments on the episodes that have been uploaded on youtube, as well as the popularity of The Partridge Family now on Amazon every single season and episode is on Amazon!! It is huge I mean huge with new generations and it is widely honored as some of the greatest comedic timing by David and Danny, and Rueben, ever seen by actors the Timing of David was so great as an actor and so great as a comedian and he never had that chance again. He had a wide open slate, total creative license, to be the 100% best in comic timing and in acting and his facial expressions and takes and his acting ability was just out of this world! I wish people would appreciate him more for that!! Also the costumes, and the clothing that he wore was just fabulous and people nowadays in 2023 are trying to get back to the clothing of the 70s and the ’80s and the clothing on The Partridge Family was absolutely stunning. His fitted, tailored velvet outfits or the geometric vest and wide colored shirts were so, so amazingly sexy and attractive on a man and I wish people would get back to the clothing they used. a Hip and Today clothing store right around the corner from the Columbia Ranch lot was used to outfit David in the very beginning, and David set the standard for fashion throughout the Decade! And he continued to get a lot of his clothes from there after The Partridge Family ended. It seemed like no one knew how to dress right or dress nicely anymore after the show ended. I mean the bell bottoms were sexy, the colored shirts were sexy, I mean it was just an amazing time for fashion and I just adore watching The Partridge Family episodes now over and over because they taught huge life lessons and I think that as far as today’s morals and experiences are concerned they are the model family for people to know how to raise children I mean No One Compares To Shirley Jones as Mrs Partridge the way she handled family events and the growth of her children and the respect that they needed to display in the world and the manners and everything nothing has ever compared to The Partridge Family–it was a million times better than the I Love Lucy show or the Dick Van Dyke Show or any other sitcom it was just the best of the best and nothing will ever be like it again I don’t know how anybody can you know, knock it because it was fantastic and Flawless and per etc. People everyday on YouTube are saying how absolutely Flawless an amazing The Partridge Family Show was and lauding it as the greatest situation comedy ever made in history. Thank you for reading and I enjoyed your article David was the most gorgeous man that ever walked the face of this Earth and the most fabulous singer ever right up there with Steve Perry as the greatest singers of all time. Jd
Tomorrow, then I’ll be someone, could it be forever…
Loved this….shared it….loved David for over 50 years xx❤😘…..Could It Be Forever….you betcha x
Well here’s a confession for you, Janet. I do own a David Cassidy’s Greatest Hits. After all, he sang some great tunes. His audience was mainly teen girls, but I enjoyed the Partridge Family on Friday evenings, as I did Happy Days.
I think I love you Steve!
Haha, very droll, and a nice play on song titles! Could it be forever?
How can I be sure?
I’ll meet you halfway!
Go now!
I Am a Clown, Darlin’ and possibly getting on Thin Ice!
Please please me!
I Just Wanna’ Make You Happy, and now I’m running out of ideas. I’ll cry “uncle” soon!
I also ran out of ideas…….why didn’t he have more songs? This was fun!
Never mind, You Were the One, but I must Let Her Go. Great fun, Janet.
I Cherished this but maybe I am just a Daydreamer?
Dreams Are Nuthin’ More than Wishes!
Santa Claus is coming!
No Way (Oh No)
Maybe I am Looking Through the Eyes of Love?
Once A Fool! Am I Losing You?
Only If I Didn’t Care
I Lost My Chance!
Maybe Tomorrow?
Where Is The Morning?
Bedtime?
Well, we were both On Fire there, but maybe now it’s time to Run and Hide? Really, really enjoyed that exchange!
LOL yes – a wonderful respite from Sunday housework!
I used to watch The Partridge Family in reruns. His character was self-deprecating and accessible, and he was so pretty to look at!
The show wasn’t great but there were some fun moments, the hilariously awful costumes and catchy songs. He had such a beautiful voice and was so good looking that it’s no surprise he was with so many girls back in the day. Serious shame about the current messes in his life.
His book is an interesting and fun read, if you haven’t already read it.
No I haven’t – I should get it!
Some of the episodes are really funny – the one with the skunk is my favourite!
Oh – I was so sure I was going to marry him!!!!! xoxoxoxo Loved this post!