David Cassidy, who came to fame as a '70s teen heartthrob and lead singer on "The Partridge Family," has died, according to his publicist Jo-Ann Geffen. He was 67
The singer-actor had recently been admitted to the intensive care unit of a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, area hospital. Cassidy was in critical condition and suffering from organ failure before his death Tuesday, Geffen said.
David Cassidy was born into the entertainment industry that made him a star. His father was famed actor and singer Jack Cassidy, and his mother was actress Evelyn Ward. After his parents split in 1956, the elder Cassidy married actress and singer Shirley Jones the same year.
His early work included appearances on "Ironside," "Marcus Welby, M.D.," "Adam-12" and "Bonanza."
Cassidy later launched a solo career, recording a dozen studio albums and six compilation albums.
He continued to work in television after "The Partridge Family" ended, performing in theater productions and briefly landing his own show, "David Cassidy - Man Undercover," which lasted a season.
Cassidy fared better in Las Vegas. He starred as the leading man of MGM Grand's "EFX" in 1996 and developed a show titled "At the Copa," which he co-starred in with Sheena Easton in 2000.
Cassidy released his autobiography, "Could It Be Forever? My Story," in 2007, writing about the pitfalls of fame and his failed first two marriages.
He had a daughter, Katie Cassidy, in 1986, from a relationship with Sherry Williams Benedon, and a son, Beau, with third wife Sue Shifrin, in 1991.
Cassidy hit some low points and ended up in rehab in 2014 after his third arrest for driving under the influence. That same year Shifrin filed for divorce.
In 2017, Cassidy revealed that he was in the early stages of dementia, the same disease his mother and grandfather suffered from.
Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2017 5:33 am