The Partridge Family Cast Finally Speaks Out



The Partridge Family gained a huge following during its years on screen. The show follows the fun adventures of the all singing family in America during the 1970s. But what actually happened between stars David Cassidy and Susan Dey? Was there controversy behind the scenes? Read on to find out uncovered details….

The Cast Was Underpaid


The producers and creators of the show, Sony, were pocketing millions of dollars for each episode of the hit sitcom, while the cast was terribly underpaid. David Cassidy was just about scraping $600 a week.



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There Is More Than One Version of the Pilot


In the storyline of a pilot episode, The Partridge’s live in Ohio, and the character of their father, who is deceased, is actually talked about rather than a background figure. Yet in the actual pilot that made it to the air, Mr. Partridge was never discussed, as if he didn’t even exist. There must have been a reasoning for this.
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Shirley Jones


Shirley Jones joined The Partridge Family in 1970. She had just said no to the role of the mother in The Brady Bunch sitcom. After the show ended, she found it very difficult to find more acting work, and disassociate herself with that character. Did you know? She was also the real life stepmother of David Cassidy. Jones now performs on stage.
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Brian Forster


Brian Forster played the youngest son Chris Partridge in The Partridge Family, after replacing the original actor. Forster is from a family of acting legends, and is the great great great grandson of Charles Dickens. How cool is that! Once Brian became old enough to drive he became a stunt driver and even a professional race car driver!
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No One Noticed When Chris Was Switched Out


When producers switched the actors who played Chris, no one flinched. The studio didn’t receive any angry letters from fans complaining about the change, which is something that usually happens a lot. First season Chris was played by Jeremy Gelbwaks, while Brian Forster played the role of Chris from season two onwards until the end of the show in season four. Gelbwaks was causing a lot of drama on set.
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Shirley’s Successful Career Ended Her Marriage


Shirley was married to Jack Cassidy. Her success on the show however, was not received well by Jack, making him very jealous. Shirley stated that “His overriding sense of inferiority in the face of my success drove him into the arms of other women even more often than before.” David Cassidy said that his father had anger and alcohol problems which contributed to his violent behavior.
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Suzanne Crough


Suzanne Crough played the young Tracey Partridge, where she was most famous for playing the tambourine. After The Partridge Family ended, she went back to her normal life, she left the acting world, found love and had two daughters. She sadly passed away suddenly in 2015, and all of her co-stars were at the funeral to pay their respects.
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Dave Madden


Dave Madden signed up to the Air Force before he hit TV screens. Here his love of comedy enabled him to perform in front of the King of Libya. He would go on to bag the role of Partridge Family Manager Reuben Kincaid on the hit TV series of the same name. Dave Madden sadly died in a hospice in 2014 at the age of 82. He is gone but never forgotten.
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The Partridge’s Were Inspired By a Real Life Family


The show The Partridge Family is actually based on a real life family called the Cowsills. The Cowsill family consisted of the mother, six sons and a daughter. They were musical and even had top hits like their 1967 song, The Rain, the Park & Other Things. The producers of the show really wanted the real family to play the Partridges, but then producers wanted to replace the mother with Shirley Jones, so they ultimately didn’t.
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Shirley Jones Turned Down a Role on The Brady Bunch


Shirley revealed why she chose to be a Partridge and not a Brady: “While the idea of playing the mother in The Brady Bunch was initially attractive to me, I turned it down because I didn’t want to be the mother taking the roast out of the oven and no doing much else… First, because she was destined to become the first working mother on TV and I loved the script. Second, because working on the series would let me be an almost full-time mom and raise my kids.”
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Ricky Was Added To Boost Ratings


Ricky was brought in during season 4 of the show as a bid to boost ratings, which were declining rapidly during that time. The producers saw the popularity of the Jackson Five, and originally wanted an African-American child for the role, but they decided to go with adorable sweet Ricky. They made a good choice.
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David’s Concert Lead to a Fan’s Death


During and after the show, David’s musical career really took off. However, tragedy would ensue. He was playing a concert in London’s White City Stadium in 1974 when a crowd of young people ran towards the stage, crushing some fans. One of the individuals who was crushed was a young 14 year old girl named, Bernadette Whelan who died. Cassidy later said that this always haunted him.
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Danny Bonaduce Was a Troublemaker


Danny was known being “a wild child who came from an unhappy home. At eleven, he started smoking.” Like many child stars in Hollywood, Danny grew up in the spotlight surrounded by a lot of temptations.  Danny grew up in an abusive home also, which must have been a factor for his unruly behavior on-set.
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The Partridge’s Home Was Filmed For Other Shows


Did you know? The Partridge home actually appeared on other shows, such as Bewitched, it was also the home of the Stevens’ nosy neighbors, as well as I Dream of Jeannie, Dennis the Menace, and The Donna Reed Show. It was obviously the picture of the typical American dream.
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The Family Dog Disappeared


During the first season of the show the family had a dog named, Simone. Yet between season one and season two, the dog simply vanishes. Apparently producers just decided that the extra ‘character’ was unnecessary for the storyline of the show.
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Susan Dey Won’t Participate In Any Cast Reunions


Susan Dey would refuse to attend any cast reunions. Apparently she and David had grown apart, and up until his untimely death, they were completely out of touch, which hurt David tremendously. Jones stated ‘I was also hurt that out of everyone on the show, only Susan consistently refused to take part in any TV reunions of The Partridge Family.” Perhaps now she can find reason to put the past behind her.
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There Were Famous Guest Stars Galore


The show itself was extremely popular, but can you remember the talented list of guest stars that appeared on the show? Actors to grace this list included Jodi Foster, Farrah Fawcett, Jaclyn Smith, Johnny Cash, Mark Hamill, and Cheryl Ladd.
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The Family’s Bus Doesn’t Exist Anymore


The famous colorful family bus was kept parked behind Lucy’s Tacos on Martin Luther King Blvd, after the show ended. However, after years of neglect and weathering, the bus was officially out of commission and was dumped. It was truly part of the show and faced such a sad end to its life.
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Shirley Was the Only One Meant to Sing


Originally, Shirley was supposed to be the only cast member to perform on the show. However, when producers heard David’s voice, they decided to let him sing along with his step-mother, because his demo was so impressive. This was the beginning of David’s singing success.
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Rick Springfield Playing Keith Partridge


When the fourth season ended, the producers decided that if there was going to be fifth season they would need to replace David Cassidy with Rick Springfield. Well aren’t we glad this did not happen, can you imagine Keith Partridge being played by anyone other than David Cassidy?
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David Cassidy’s Voice Is Different


David’s voice was actually altered on the show. The vocals were pre-recorded in a studio. During the process of recording in the studio, the studio would alter David’s voice to sound higher than it actually was, as that was more appealing to audiences.
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Shirley Jones Struggled With Her Fame


Shirley’s life had many dark turns due to her fame. She said that “The public continued to find it hard to separate the Partridge family from the real-life actors playing them, which could sometimes cause serious problems in our lives.” Jones was also thought to be David Cassidy’s real mother, which made his actual mother, Evelyn Ward, very hurt and angry.
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David Cassidy Grew Up To Have Some Serious Issues


David, like many child stars got himself into a lot of trouble as he grew up in the spotlight. David got himself into such a mess he eventually had to file for bankruptcy, encountered three DIU’s, struggled with severe alcoholism, forcing him to go to rehab for his addictions. Of course all of this contributed to his sad death recently when he died of liver failure.
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The Partridge’s Outsold the Beatles


The music that was created for the show was unsurprisingly super successful. The song, I Think I Love You, that was released in the 1970 album, The Partridge Family Album, shot straight to number one on the Billboard charts, even outselling the Beatles’ single, Let It Be. What an achievement!
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Shirley Jones Had Plenty To Say About Her Co-Stars Singing


Shirley was very vocal about the fact that she thought the other cast members weren’t good enough singers to be in the studio. The only cast members that she thought was good enough to sing was obviously David Cassidy. She bad mouthed them all, saying that Susan Dey, Danny Bonaduce, Suzanne Crough, Jeremy Gelbwaks and Brian Forster were not good enough singers.
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People Thought the Kids Could Really Play Their Instruments


Fans thought that The Partridge Family actors could actually play the instruments that they were seen playing on set. In fact, the only person out of every actor on set that could actually play an instrument was the favorite, David Cassidy.
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Susan Dey


Dey had continued success after the show, going on to take roles in dramas such as L.A. Law, and even won a Golden Globe for her performance. Dey has also allegedly never shown up to a single Partridge Family reunion. To this day she is still beautiful and has not seemed to age.
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Susan Dey Suffered from Body-Image Issues


Susan Dey was 18 years old when she bagged the coveted role of Laurie Partridge. Before her stint as Laurie, Dey modeled. When she became Laurie, her career took off very fast. This fast ascension of fame in Hollywood made Dey struggle with body image issues and she dieted to the low point of weighing a mere 92 lbs. This sadly is the dark side of the industry.
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Susan Dey Post-Partridge


After The Partridge Family, other than LA Law, Dey was in films like Echo Park, and Bed of Lies. She was also on shows like Hawaii Five-O, and Third Watch. Susan’s last acting job was listed in 2004, she hasn’t been in anything since.
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RIP David


David Cassidy, sadly passed away on November 22 2017 at the age of 67.The star had been rushed to the intensive care unit of a Florida hospital. Before his death he was in critical condition, suffering from organ failure.”David died surrounded by those he loved, with joy in his heart and free from the pain that had gripped him for so long. Thank you for the abundance and support you have shown him these many years,” she said. Cassidy’s nephew, Jack Cassidy, tweeted about his uncle’s death, saying “I can’t help but thank God for the joy that he brought to countless millions of people.”

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Heartbreaking Outcome


Katie Cassidy spoke out about her father after his death. They had a rocky relationship. The Arrow actress shared a heartbreaking tweet honoring the late star: “Words cant express the solace our family’s received from all the love & support during this trying time,” she stated. “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 as to never waste another minute… Thank you.”

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The Truth Comes Out


The Partridge Family star and his daughter Katie, 30, did not live together. Katie was raised by her mother, former model Sherry Williams, and her stepfather, Richard Benedon, but David did still play a role in her life growing up. “Because I didn’t raise her, I didn’t have to parent her,” David told PEOPLE in 2009.

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Drifted Apart


Over time, their relationship fell apart and the pair drifted. Just before he died, David confessed in an interview to PEOPLE magazine that the two were no longer in contact.“I wasn’t her father. I was her biological father but I didn’t raise her. She has a completely different life,” he explained. “[But] I’m proud of her. She’s very talented. It’s hard for me to even accept how old she is now.”

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Partridge Family Condolences


Danny Bonaduce who played Cassidy’s younger brother in The Partridge Family was deeply affceted by his co-star’s death. He spoke out: “I have known, loved, and admired David Cassidy for 48 out of my 58 years. He has been as kind to me as any real brother could ever be. We’ve been through a lot together and he was always there for me. This loss is huge. RIP my dear friend.”

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Always To Be Remembered


Alexa PenaVega who worked with Cassidy on “Ruby & the Rockits,” a 2009 TV show created by Shaun Cassidy, David’s half-brother, spoke out after his death and said Cassidy was “an amazing TV daddy.” It just shows how many lives he affected for the good and how he will be sorely missed.

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Marie Osmond


Marie Osmond also played tribute to the actor. She wrote on her social media page “Heartbroken over the passing of David Cassidy. He graced the covers of teen magazines w/ my Brothers in the ‘70s. My condolences to his Family. ” She shared images of old magazine covers with David and her brothers, which fans were totally amazed by this trip down memory lane.

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Beach Boys Memory


Brian Wilson, the lead singer of the Beach Boys, said he was “very sad” to hear about Cassidy’s death. “There were times in the mid 1970s when he would come over to my house and we even started writing a song together,” he tweeted. “He was a very talented and nice person.”

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Dementia


In February of 2017, David announced in a live TV interview that he was suffering from Dementia to Dr Phil. He muttered through tearts “When friends of yours or family members begin to say to you, ‘Remember, I just told you this two days ago,’ and there’s no memory of it … that’s when I began to be very concerned,” Cassidy said. “Certainly my dementia has contributed to the reason why I don’t want to go out” Sadly his fate caught up with him.

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Destroying Illness


The actor, who passed away after suffering acute kidney and liver failure, claimed that his grandfather and his mother also battled the disease. “In the end, the only way I knew she recognized me is with one single tear that would drop from her eye every time I walked into the room… I feared I would end up that way,” he said.

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Impending Doom


Just before his death, his son Beau wrote on his Facebook page updating the world who were very worried: “David Cassidy is very sick”.  This was when the dying singer was waiting for a liver transplant while his organs were shutting down. At that desperate time, a donor was the only thing that could have saved him. Yet it was too late.

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Memory Lane


Director Kevin Smith shared a picture from 1990 MTV awards where David and his co star  Susan Dey presented an award. He wrote of the singer ‘I grew up in an era before even cable TV, when The Partridge Family was already in reruns. David Cassidy’s Keith was one of my favorite TV characters,’ he wrote. ‘He was legit funny AND he could sing. The man entertained me during my childhood and even years later.’

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David Cassidy and Susan Dey Dated After the Show


Susan Dey had a crush on David Cassidy while filming The Partridge Family. (Which young woman didn’t at that time?) The two began dating after the show wrapped, but the romance was sadly a short one. Years later  Cassidy  wrote about their relationship in his autobiography, Susan was quite upset about it and never made up with him. We wonder if she regrets this.
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An Animated Spinoff Was Created


Partridge Family, 2200 A.D. was the animated spinoff of The Partridge Family. Shirley Jones and David Cassidy would not have their names associated with it, and Susan Dey and Danny Bonaduce were limited figures. The show, like most spinoffs, didn’t become successful and went off the air as quickly as it came on.
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Danny Bonaduce


Bonaduce, who played the role of Danny Partridge, the young band’s drummer, received a Child Actor Lifetime Achievement Award for his talents. After being a child star, Danny Bonaduce had a hugely successful radio show, and even then followed that up by doing a brief stint in professional wrestling. His biography is quite interesting.
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