A Star Is Born
David Cassidy was born on Apr. 12, 1950 to actors Jack Cassidy and Evelyn Ward in New York City. As the kid of show business parents, he was raised by his grandparents while his parents were on the road. They divorced a few years after he was born.
A Teen Heartthrob Emerges
After a string of small TV roles at 19 and 20, the aspiring star landed the role of Keith Partridge in 1970 on The Partridge Family and quickly became a breakout star.
David Cassidy Mania
In addition to his performance on the TV show, he became a standout singer, selling out arenas and inciting mass hysteria among the teen crowd with hits like "I Think I Love You," "Cherish" and "How Can I Be Sure." However, after the tragic 1974 death of a teenage fan, who passed away from cardiac arrest after a gate stampede at one of Cassidy's concerts triggered a pre-existing heart condition, Cassidy finished his run on The Partridge Family and turned his attention to making music.
Wedding Bells
Cassidy wed for the first time in 1977 to fellow child star Kay Lenz. The two divorced six years later.
Matters of the Heart
Cassidy went on to marry two more times, next to Meryl Tanz and then to Sue Shifrin. While his second marriage lasted less than two years, his third to Shifrin would go on for 23 years until 2014 when they announced their divorce.
An Emmy Nod
By the late 1970s, Cassidy was acting on TV shows again, including his performance on Police Story in 1978. He was nominated for his first and only Emmy Award.
Center Stage
By the 1980s, Cassidy, admittedly broke and in the process of rebuilding his life, toured the United Kingdom and then returned to musical theater. He performed in a tour of Little Johnny Jones, in the West End production of Time and on Broadway in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Blood Brothers.
Fatherhood
The teen idol became a father twice, first to daughter, actress Katie Cassidy, in 1986 with Sherry Williams Benedon, and again in 1991 to son Beau Cassidy with his third wife, Shifrin.
Saying Goodbye to the Spotlight
In his later years, Cassidy continued touring and made appearances on various TV shows, including Celebrity Appearance in 2011. The period was also a rocky one for the star, as he faced three DUIs and was ordered to seek rehab in 2014. In February 2015, he filed for bankruptcy and in 2017, he revealed he was suffering from dementia and announced his impending retirement.
An International Farewell
On Nov. 21, 2017, the '70s star passed away after being hospitalized for liver and kidney failure.