David Cassidy: The Last Session

[Guest]

This documentary airs next Monday, June 11th on A&E at 9 PM ET. A&E didn't have anything on their website about it (at least nothing I could find) but David Cassidy's official page did. 

Quote

Originally, this two-hour documentary began as a broader four-part series that David was contractually and artistically committed to completing and promoting.  Unaware of the gravity of his deteriorating physical health, however, David would not live to see the completion of the project.

ARGH! He was making a series! Why'd he have to die?

I'm excited to see this as he was supposed to be my husband (in my imagination) but am not too excited to see him in his final days in an alcoholic haze. I really hope the cameras followed him around showing him doing some mundane daily life things as opposed to making music which I'm not really all that thrilled about hearing. 

[BW Manilowe]

From ET Online: David Cassidy Reveals He Never Had Dementia in Shocking Posthumous Documentary Footage

[Robert Lynch]

Even if he never had dementia, the drinking made it all the more worse as he aged. I know there are some exceptions that they are people that could live through 90, despite drug use, however, in David's case, he was addicted for a long time.  He had a family history of dementia, which makes it all the more sad. Even if David didn't have dementia, chances are that drinking could be contributed to his death.

Edited June 6, 2018 by Robert Lynch

[Guest]

5 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

From ET Online: David Cassidy Reveals He Never Had Dementia in Shocking Posthumous Documentary Footage

I might be wrong, but I think within days of a terrible onstage performance and video of it leaked, he quickly announced he had "dementia" and said he was no longer going to tour. The implication was he suffered from Alzheimers. I knew immediately, given his past behavior, that he didn't have Alzheimers and that "dementia" was just code for "ongoing alcoholism." 

Whatever it was, it is still totally sad. The clip was heartbreaking. What a waste.

[BW Manilowe]

On 6/6/2018 at 6:37 PM, Giant Misfit said:

I might be wrong, but I think within days of a terrible onstage performance and video of it leaked, he quickly announced he had "dementia" and said he was no longer going to tour. The implication was he suffered from Alzheimers. I knew immediately, given his past behavior, that he didn't have Alzheimers and that "dementia" was just code for "ongoing alcoholism." 

Whatever it was, it is still totally sad. The clip was heartbreaking. What a waste.

Yeah. As I'm pretty sure I said in other threads (like Celebrity News & Celebrity Deaths) when I was a kid & involved with the March of Dimes on a national level, I had the good fortune--especially since I was actually a fan, of the TV show & the music--to get to visit the Partridge Family set. I got to meet David, & most of the Partridge Family cast (his then-real life stepmother, Shirley Jones, Susan Dey, & Danny Bonaduce), except for Brian Forster & the late Suzanne Crough, the actors who played the youngest Partridge kids Chris (the 2nd, blond, version) & Tracy. With the child labor laws being how they are, & were back then (the early 1970s), maybe they were done on the set that day by the time I got there (or they might not have had to work that day). I also missed meeting Dave Madden, the actor who played the family's manager, Reuben Kincaid (but I eventually got to meet him too, when we did a March of Dimes telethon together in Kentucky a few years later).

Anyway, David (& the rest of them) couldn't have been cooler, or nicer. And it made me really sad to see what happened to him after The Partridge Family ended.

I think he felt like--even though he starred in a cop show afterwards (a short-lived [unfortunately] spinoff of the old anthology series Police Story, & his performance on the Police Story pilot for David's new show got him an Emmy nomination)--he was going to be known, primarily, as Keith Partridge, singing "I Think I Love You", for the rest of his life (which, unfortunately, is pretty much what happened). And instead of embracing it & making the best of it (like, say, Donny & the Osmond Brothers seem to have done with their careers after their musical heydays) David just couldn't deal with that, because from everything I remember that was said about him then, he wanted to do more serious music & more serious acting but mostly nobody took him seriously (which I suppose I understand).

And I think that, along with the fact that his dad, the late character actor Jack Cassidy, also had alcohol abuse issues (apropos of nothing, perhaps, Jack also was found to have been Bipolar--which I think is something which could've possibly also affected David at some point, though maybe it hadn't yet--& bisexual, which I don't think had any affect on David [or Jack's sons with Shirley, Shaun--also a former teen idol & now a TV show producer, writer, & creator, who's actually on something like his 4th heterosexual marriage--Patrick, also an actor, & Ryan, who apparently works somehow behind the scenes in TV]. Shirley's 2013 memoir actually confirmed Jack had apparently carried on a long term same-sex affair with Cole Porter), along with a career which maybe hadn't gone quite as successfully as David (& Jack) had hoped (though Jack had won a Tony Award, & been nominated for other Tonys, as well as being nominated for a couple of Emmy Awards for his work in television). Not to mention, perhaps, the fact that Jack's marriage to David's mother had ended when David was, like, 6, & David & his mom stayed in the east while maybe (I think) Jack & Shirley moved west, & started their own family, so maybe David felt rather estranged from his dad growing up; as well as David's father dying, tragically, at the really young age of 49 in an apartment fire caused by falling asleep on a couch & dropping a lit cigarette which then ignited the couch (Jack & Shirley had divorced 2 years earlier, in 1974; Jack lived alone in the apartment). Perhaps all those issues contributed to David's own eventual alcoholism.

It was sad to think, in my opinion, David's own ego, pride, or whatever regarding his career after The Partridge Family, not wanting to sing "I Think I Love You" forever, may have fueled his eventually fatal (or was a contributory factor in his death) alcoholism. He really seemed like too nice of a guy, when I met him, for that to happen to.

Edited June 13, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To fix multiple punctuation issues, add comments and a word

[Guest]

@BW Manilowe That is an awesome story! My friend and I met David Cassidy back in the 90s at a record store CD signing. He had on more make up than I've worn in my life and he was kind of a douche. We had the time of our lives though—and still recount the story even to this day. I'm glad you got to meet him during his heyday though. And on set! OMG! So fantastic. 

I'm really looking forward to this doc. I recall him appearing on Dr Phil pushing the "I have dementia!" theory and was sad for him because I knew it wasn't true—that he was an alcoholic and needed help. But I'm pretty sure by that appearance, he was too far gone for any sort of intervention. I hope this doc examines the last days of his life in an honest manner and doesn't try to sugar coat the real issue. 

[MsTree]

BW Manilowe, thanks so much for repeating your story. I hadn't seen/read it on any other thread, so I really appreciate you repeating it here.

[BW Manilowe]

15 hours ago, Giant Misfit said:

@BW Manilowe That is an awesome story! My friend and I met David Cassidy back in the 90s at a record store CD signing. He had on more make up than I've worn in my life and he was kind of a douche. We had the time of our lives though—and still recount the story even to this day. I'm glad you got to meet him during his heyday though. And on set! OMG! So fantastic. 

I'm really looking forward to this doc. I recall him appearing on Dr Phil pushing the "I have dementia!" theory and was sad for him because I knew it wasn't true—that he was an alcoholic and needed help. But I'm pretty sure by that appearance, he was too far gone for any sort of intervention. I hope this doc examines the last days of his life in an honest manner and doesn't try to sugar coat the real issue. 

I'm glad you & your friend didn't let David's being kind of a douche ruin your experience, you had the time of your lives, & you still recount the experience to this day. If I'd had that experience, I'm not sure how I'd have felt about it; especially being a fan of his.  But I probably would've told anybody who wanted to know that he was a real douche (back in the day, there were at least a couple of celebs I met, other than David Cassidy, naturally, who shall remain nameless on this public forum--at least 1 of them has since passed on--who starred/co-starred in TV shows I actually watched regularly, & I guess you could say I was a fan of, whose behavior would've probably been considered douchey; I didn't hesitate to discuss their bad attitudes & lack of professionalism [I'm sure it would've been called] in private with anyone who wanted to know what these people were like when I met them). 

I wonder, though, if David's douchiness (which I think actually may be seen in some of the videos involving him--like live performance videos through the years--that are on YouTube... or at least were when he was dying & immediately after he died) was connected to his alcoholism & his feelings, though he also had a solo career, about (at least I think he felt) primarily being seen as Keith Partridge & having his signature song/biggest hit be I Think I Love You, instead of being known for the harder-edged music it was said, back then, he really wanted to be making instead of the basically bubblegum pop material that he was (I'm sure) contractually bound to record periodically which was released (at least once or twice a season, I think) on albums naming the recording artist as The Partridge Family, though David & Shirley Jones were the only cast members who actually sang on the records. As I remember, part of the reason the show got canceled was because David was tired of doing the Partridge Family's style of music.

[TVFan17]

21 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

...

And I think that, along with the fact that his dad, the late character actor Jack Cassidy, also had alcohol abuse issues (apropos of nothing, perhaps, Jack also was found to have been Bipolar--which I think is something which could've possibly also affected David at some point, though maybe it hadn't yet--& bisexual, which I don't think had any affect on David [or Jack's sons with Shirley, Shaun--also a former teen idol & now a TV show producer, writer, & creator, who's actually on something like his 4th heterosexual marriage--Patrick, also an actor, & Ryan, who apparently works somehow behind the scenes in TV]. Shirley's 2013 memoir actually confirmed Jack had apparently carried on a long term same-sex affair with Cole Porter), along with a career which maybe hadn't gone quite as successfully as David (& Jack) had hoped (though Jack had won a Tony Award, & been nominated for other Tonys, as well as being nominated for a couple of Emmy Awards for his work in television). Not to mention, perhaps, the fact that Jack's marriage to David's mother had ended when David was, like, 6, & David & his mom stayed in the east while maybe (I think) Jack & Shirley moved west, & started their own family, so maybe David felt rather estranged from his dad growing up; as well as David's father dying, tragically, at the really young age of 49 in an apartment fire caused by falling asleep on a couch & dropping a lit cigarette which then ignited the couch (Jack & Shirley had divorced 2 years earlier, in 1974; Jack lived alone in the apartment). Perhaps all those issues contributed to David's own eventual alcoholism.

 

 

At the time I met and had lunch with Ryan (it was somewhere around 1993 or 1994-ish), he was working behind the scenes at Jim Henson Productions (I want to say that it was maybe in Set Design or something like that, but I could be wrong -- it was so long ago) - here in L.A.   Either Jim Henson Productions was located on the Raleigh Studios property, or Ryan moved from JHP to Raleigh to start a new job, but I remember him being at Raleigh at some point.   He told me that he was either going to play or had just played a role as a cop in a friend's independent film, but I don't think that he was ever as interested in being in front of the camera as his brothers, mom and dad were.   

I remember that Ryan also wore (probably still wears) a ring with the family crest on it -- it was a ring that each one of the brothers and their father owned.

Edited June 8, 2018 by TVFan17

[Guest]

2 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

But I probably would've told anybody who wanted to know that he was a real douche

Oh, believe me...part of our retelling of the story always includes his douchiness! We even do reenactments. But none of it would translate here. :)  I will say he didn't seem drunk or high when we met him so I'm not really sure what his excuse was. 

Here's a small preview clip of the show. They have it listed as an A&E Biography which kind of surprises me because I thought they retired that franchise. 

[BW Manilowe]

2 hours ago, TVFan17 said:

At the time I met and had lunch with Ryan (it was somewhere around 1993 or 1994-ish), he was working behind the scenes at Jim Henson Productions (I want to say that it was maybe in Set Design or something like that, but I could be wrong -- it was so long ago) - here in L.A.   Either Jim Henson Productions was located on the Raleigh Studios property, or Ryan moved from JHP to Raleigh to start a new job, but I remember him being at Raleigh at some point.   He told me that he was either going to play or had just played a role as a cop in a friend's independent film, but I don't think that he was ever as interested in being in front of the camera as his brothers, mom and dad were.   

I remember that Ryan also wore (probably still wears) a ring with the family crest on it -- it was a ring that each one of the brothers and their father owned.

It was a signet ring with the Cassidy family crest on it, yeah. Jack had 1--in fact that was apparently something that helped identify his body, which was reportedly in pretty gruesome shape, after he died in his apartment fire. And I know David had 1 too (presumably his own & not Jack's, in whatever condition it was in after the fire); I remember reading about his ring in at least 1 of those paperback unauthorized biographies about him which were released in the era of The Partridge Family. I also remember buying at least 1 of them at a Book Fair at my elementary school (the show aired from September of the year I was in 2nd grade through March of the year I was in 6th grade) for, like, 75 cents or $1.

You said Ryan had the same ring. I would assume it was just as you said then, all the Cassidy sons--David, Shaun, Patrick & Ryan--had the same ring.

That brings up a question: David had a son, Beau, with his last wife, songwriter Sue Shifrin (aka Sue Shifrin-Cassidy)--who I think had divorced, or was in the process of divorcing, David by the time he was diagnosed with the eventually fatal multiple organ failure; though I think media reports on David's final illness & death said that she was among the family members staying with/near him at the hospital (as was David's mostly estranged daughter, actress Katie Cassidy, who was appearing--or had recently finished playing a role--in the CW network's TV show Arrow & went to the hospital after, or instead of, appearing at a Comic-Con type of convention in Atlanta that was held at the same time as David became ill). 

I wonder now if Beau had a Cassidy family crest signet ring too &, if he did, was he the original wearer or was his handed down from either his grandfather Jack (assuming it wasn't damaged too badly in the fire, or that it'd been restored), or from David before or upon his death. But I also wonder if Shaun's 2 sons & Patrick's 2 sons also have the signet ring too. By the way, Jack Gordon Cassidy, 1 of Patrick's 2 sons, was on (I think) the 3rd most recent season of The Voice.

Back in the day, a signet ring was used--with sealing wax--to seal (at least) letters & worn as jewelry. You'd dip the emblem on the ring (in this case, the Cassidy family crest) in melted sealing wax & then press the ring on the envelope so as to seal it when the wax solidified again. Recipients could apparently tell who the correspondence was from by the design imprinted in the wax (in this case, the Cassidy family crest), which had dried by the time the correspondence was received.

[TVFan17]

2 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

It was a signet ring with the Cassidy family crest on it, yeah. Jack had 1--in fact that was apparently something that helped identify his body, which was reportedly in pretty gruesome shape, after he died in his apartment fire. And I know David had 1 too (presumably his own & not Jack's, in whatever condition it was in after the fire); I remember reading about his ring in at least 1 of those paperback unauthorized biographies about him which were released in the era of The Partridge Family. I also remember buying at least 1 of them at a Book Fair at my elementary school (the show aired from September of the year I was in 2nd grade through March of the year I was in 6th grade) for, like, 75 cents or $1.

You said Ryan had the same ring. I would assume it was just as you said then, all the Cassidy sons--David, Shaun, Patrick & Ryan--had the same ring.

That brings up a question: David had a son, Beau, with his last wife, songwriter Sue Shifrin (aka Sue Shifrin-Cassidy)--who I think had divorced, or was in the process of divorcing, David by the time he was diagnosed with the eventually fatal multiple organ failure; though I think media reports on David's final illness & death said that she was among the family members staying with/near him at the hospital (as was David's mostly estranged daughter, actress Katie Cassidy, who was appearing--or had recently finished playing a role--in the CW network's TV show Arrow & went to the hospital after, or instead of, appearing at a Comic-Con type of convention in Atlanta that was held at the same time as David became ill). 

I wonder now if Beau had a Cassidy family crest signet ring too &, if he did, was he the original wearer or was his handed down from either his grandfather Jack (assuming it wasn't damaged too badly in the fire, or that it'd been restored), or from David before or upon his death. But I also wonder if Shaun's 2 sons & Patrick's 2 sons also have the signet ring too. By the way, Jack Gordon Cassidy, 1 of Patrick's 2 sons, was on (I think) the 3rd most recent season of The Voice.

Back in the day, a signet ring was used--with sealing wax--to seal (at least) letters & worn as jewelry. You'd dip the emblem on the ring (in this case, the Cassidy family crest) in melted sealing wax & then press the ring on the envelope so as to seal it when the wax solidified again. Recipients could apparently tell who the correspondence was from by the design imprinted in the wax (in this case, the Cassidy family crest), which had dried by the time the correspondence was received.

 

Yes.   All the brothers and their father had the same family crest ring, including David.   I specifically remember Ryan telling me that only because I asked about his ring, which was right in front of me.

Good question about Beau and the other brothers' sons and whether they each have their own rings.   I wonder!   I would have to think that at least some of them would have the ring, but I don't know.
 

Edited June 9, 2018 by TVFan17

[SunnyBeBe]

I intend to watch the documentary since I adored David since I was a child.  I just hope the show makes it clear that if someone does have dementia, they may not be able to relay accurate information, or recall what they have said previously, like in previous interviews.  They may also suffer with delusions.  I just hope that is made clear. Dementia is brain damage and I hope they are not holding him to some unfair standard. 

I read today that David's last wife was not pleased with the project, though, I don't know why.  Danny Bonaduce said that he participated, because, David had asked him to. 

[Guest]

It's only been 35 minutes, but this is excruciatingly painful to watch. 

[BW Manilowe]

In case anyone misses/missed all or part of this, & reads this in time, A&E is supposed to repeat this LATE TONIGHT/EARLY TOMORROW MORNING AT 1:02 AM EASTERN/12:02 AM CENTRAL TIME (Presumably the same times in the Pacific/Mountain Time Zones, but I'm NOT positive, so check your local listings... Also check your local listings in the Hawaiian & Alaskan, & any other time zones this may air in, such as Canada perhaps). Sorry for the perhaps late post, but I just now realized someone may need the info. Also, this is actually described as an actual biographical program about David; not just about the period after the dementia was diagnosed (& I have more info on that, & will post it when I find it--but a registered/apparently RN/Hospice Nurse in another board/thread I post in said it wasn't actually dementia, as in Alzheimer's type, that he had, but it was apparently a type associated with alcoholism--I've been wondering whether it should be posted since I read it, since I don't wanna crush anyone's feelings who was a fan, as I also was, back in the day, more than the news of his substance abuse & dementia may have, but decided it probably was OK since another poster, in response to 1 of my posts, referred to David as a douche (Hope that was OK @TVFan17; apologies if not).

Edited June 12, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To add some words, capitals, and spacing.

[Laurie4H]

It’s definitely hard to watch.  I almost turned it off at the beginning watching him struggle to walk into the Dr’s office.   Great old footage though.  He was so cute.  I was born in 1974 so I missed the original run of the show but grew up watching it in reruns and was always a big fan of his.  

Are some of these interview old?  I recall the Alice Cooper ones before.  

Edited June 12, 2018 by Laurie4H

[BW Manilowe]

On 6/11/2018 at 9:36 PM, Giant Misfit said:

It's only been 35 minutes, but this is excruciatingly painful to watch. 

It is. And I'm someone who's normally "oh, no big deal" by this kind of stuff about a current or former favorite TV actor/actress or musician/music group of mine. For example, Karen Carpenter's anorexia or Barry Manilow's being gay & recently married to his partner, who's also his manager, didn't faze me--Karen's anexoria had been at least rumored about for awhile &, to be honest, I'd actually known about Barry & his manager since 1983 (which I mentioned in the Celebrity News thread, I think it was, which it came up in after the People magazine cover story in which he finally, considering I'd known since the relationship was 5-years-old, as they say, came out; the relationship started in 1978, & I honestly think the title, & only original, song on his Summer of '78 CD, is at least sort of "their story", based on the lyrics, even though his co-writer, Bruce Sussman, probably wrote them (Barry usually does the music when he has a co-writer)--Bruce has written lyrics to other songs that are/might be biographical about Barry. 

I think the special does, however, make me wanna look on Amazon or ITunes for any of David's solo albums he did which I didn't have (basically the ones he did after his Cassidy Live! album, which I think was after his The Partridge Family days).

Edited June 13, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To add punctuation marks, comments, and change at least 1 word.

[Guest]

Anyone else think David claiming he took too many Aleve was code for taking too many oxys? I found it quite telling that he told the doctor at the beginning that he hadn't done any "illegal drugs" since 1980. 

[BW Manilowe]

8 minutes ago, Giant Misfit said:

Anyone else think David claiming he took too many Aleve was code for taking too many oxys? I found it quite telling that he told the doctor at the beginning that he hadn't done any "illegal drugs" since 1980. 

Oh it could well be. As I remember, his drug use was actually mentioned in some interviews during or after, his The Partridge Family days--I remember reading somewhere that a dog he had back in those days was named "Sheesh", which was supposed to have been short for "Hashish", the illegal drug.

[BW Manilowe]

Danny Bonaduce's comment, about David telling him he was supposed to show up, sober (& I think something else I, of course, forgot practically after he said it) was rather interesting, as I think it was said, or I thought, considering David had issues with at least alcoholism, if not illegal drugs, at the time he told Danny he was doing the gig--this was when, as I remember, Danny was doing standup comedy before he became a DJ, & maybe a nationally syndicated 1.

Edited June 12, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To remove a redundant comment and add a comma.

[BW Manilowe]

I have it on A&E right now. The David Cassidy Biography is on. Right now it's listed, on TitanTVs TV listing website, as the only repeat of the special. I will try to post any scheduled repeats in case anybody wants/needs to know that info. I haven't checked yet, but A&E MIGHT also have a YouTube channel where they post their programs & this may be posted there at some point; I'll try to remember to check & post if it has a channel & they post it.

Regarding the special content, I think I at least might wanna get the CD he was working on, of songs his late father taught him, if it eventually gets released, which I think it may not have been, at least not yet--he may not have been signed to a music label when it was being recorded & he may have to have his estate, or someone otherwise interested in doing so, find a label to release it or self-publish it (if I don't get all of his solo stuff, love like I originally posted. I do like some of the songs I heard. Also, they did reveal his memory loss (at least, but not that fall he mentioned) was related to his alcoholism, as I said upthread. But they didn't call it what the poster I mentioned upthread--a professional nurse--called it. I will still try to find where I read it, I've forgotten what board/thread I read it on right now, as it was a few days ago, & I'll post the link here if I do though, because I said I would & I try not to break even sort of promises I make (I say sort of because I said I'd try to find it; I didn't say I definitely would, & I tend to deal in, as it were, semantics).

I have another real life memory of David Cassidy. He was scheduled to do a concert in my hometown & I, being a fan, obviously wanted to go. But I couldn't, & I really was mad about it (I was around 8 and a half at the time, & I tend to hold grudges, for whatever reason), because it ended up being on the same day as I had to leave for, or while I was still gonna be out of town on, 1 of my March of Dimes trips. I can't remember if it was before or after I met him, or where I was supposed to go on my trip--for some reason, I think it was Kansas City--but it pissed me off because, if I hadn't met him yet, I was a fan who wanted to go to his concert, & if it was after I met him I was mad, naturally, because I had met him.

Edited June 13, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To delete, and add comments and a comma.

[BW Manilowe]

Another comment about the special. It was on an hour later, as I suspected (which might have to do with my home state formerly NOT switching to Daylight Savings Time, except for things like airline schedules & TV schedules; we used to have those switch so they were an hour earlier when the "fall back" part of Daylight Savings Time happened, & I thought all of our cable channels were listing the right times, but either A&E didn't & I didn't know it, or they gave the wrong repeat time to TitanTV). If anyone missed it & wanted to see it, I'll try to keep an eye out for, & repost, other repeat times.

Also... I noticed David kept asking the sound engineer, I'm pretty sure, to turn something up in the recording studio; because of that, could he also have been going deaf, like some musicians--I think like Phil Collins--have because of the exposure to music in a rock/pop setting? I was also wondering that & couldn't tell if maybe the sound was just muffled on the tracks he was recording to, which caused the problem.

Edited June 13, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To change a word.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, BW Manilowe said:

I was also wondering that & couldn't tell if maybe the sound was just muffled on the tracks he was recording to, which caused the problem.

You're very kind to see it like that. I immediately blamed his screw ups on him being totally high. His speech was slurred during nearly every portion of the new segments (and there really wasn't much new there—the show seemed to overly rely on clips from his heyday). Whether it was too much "Aleve" or too much booze at that point, who knows? 

This was an OK doc. I wished they had made it clearer that he had had a pretty long post-Partridge career (why didn't they mention Man Undercover?! LOVED that show!) as it seemed from what they did show that his career faded out in the early 70s. Also a little cheesed at the throwaway, last-minute inclusion of his admission that he didn't have dementia like his mother did. The sad fact is that he did suffer from alcoholism like his father. A&E missed the boat to make this a very special edition of Intervention. 

@BW Manilowe the album is available for download. Here's a link from DavidCassidy.com. 

ETA: If anyone missed it, here's the link to A&E's site to watch but you have to be a cable subscriber to login. 

[Laurie4H]

They also didn’t mention his comeback in 1990.  He did modestly well if I recall with the song Lyin to Myself.  I remember I was 15 at the time and bought the CD.  My friends though I was strange because he was “old” when he was only about 40 at the time. 

Edited June 12, 2018 by Laurie4H

[jumper sage]

So much to say!  I never moved from the couch throughout the whole documentary.  I love that he said he would be honest and he was.  I love that the guy, the keeper if you will, never leaked any of the documentary.  Loved Danny B.  Loved all the background with his father.  I have a father and a brother, the only boy.  I have for years noticed that once the son eclipses the father the relationship is strained.  Our mother loved when we girls received more education and better careers and would beam.  My brother was a loyal son and hard worker.  My father held a job and was an alcoholic.  My brother could have either emulated him or went his own way.  We thank Zeus everyday that he went his own way and became a wonderful brother and the man he is today.

What really struck me about David is that his father was either dismissive of him or used him.  Doing the dirty work of whoever was the "boss" of The Partridge Family was a low blow.  You can look back now and see that he, David, could have probably kept up with the not-working-with-the-agents and maybe separated himself from the show but his father pulled him back in.  All for the price of mini bikes for his brothers and, of course, a percentage for himself.

David was a great singer and musician.  Loved, loved, loved Alice Cooper (I met him once on his boat!).

Sure the subject matter was tough but it shows that alcoholism is one of the most insidious addictions.  At the end, when he became lucid and admitted that he did not have any sign of dementia but it was alcohol poisoning was a great moment.

His dad dying by a lit cig on furniture is almost the iconic death of an alcoholic.

If I could compare this documentary with the Gotti documentary - both men, David Cassidy and John Gotti Jr., had to differentiate themselves from their fathers and in both docs the father/son relationship was key.  Gotti went through hell and back but did get himself and most of his family out of the mobster life whereas David seemed to emulate the very things he didn't like about his father.

Edited June 12, 2018 by jumper sage

[SunnyBeBe]

I only saw portions of the show, but, I intend to watch it in its entirety soon.   I did enjoy those scenes of the girls going crazy over David. I can relate. He was such a beautiful person to me.  Such a sweet face and great tone in his voice. His sound was so recognizable.  I just thought there was nothing like him. And, even though, Donny Osmond replaced him in my idol world, I never stopped loving him too.  I just felt that since I was a child, Donny made more sense, since he was closer to my age.  lol I knew David would never be interested in me, due to my age, but, it didn't deter my love for him. 

In the documentary, it was painful seeing him slur his words and look so frail.  I just wanted him to be healthier and happier. He brought me so much joy in my life, but, his seemed to be stunted.   

It makes me feel good to read the posts from other fans here.  We share that admiration of David.  This is something that always brings a smile to my face.  It's pure David to me and I choose to see him this way, even now, I'll Meet You Halfway:

[TVFan17]

The last person I expected to see in the David Cassidy documentary was Alice Cooper!  lol    Kim Carnes was kind of a surprise too, but not as much as Alice.

I don't know the name of the woman -- the brunette -- who was always in the studio with David and the other musicians/producers/engineers.   She was one of the musicians.  Anyway, did anyone else get the feeling that whenever David was talking and the camera zoomed in on her, she was thinking a million things about him and about his obviously fragile, precarious condition?   Her face said so much, in my opinion.   She looked as though she had so much empathy and concern for him, and probably did not truly buy anything he was trying to sell, but she knew how important it was for him to talk, and she wanted to be an attentive listener.   Every time they showed her, I thought "Oh, she clearly knows he is in bad shape and everyone should be concerned.  She doesn't know what to do."   

It was all very sad and difficult to watch, from start to finish.

"I'll Meet You Halfway" was always one of my favorite Partridge Family songs.  

Edited June 12, 2018 by TVFan17

[SunnyBeBe]

Apparently Alice Cooper is quite a caring and social person.  I saw him speak very fondly about his friend and neighbor Glenn Campbell, when Glenn passed away.  Alice and Glenn, along with their wives were great friends and the men played regular golf.  He noticed when Glenn first started with dementia and he spoke about his feelings on the matter.  It was very touching. Alice is nothing like I had imagined years ago.  Here's a link about it.

https://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/alice-cooper-talks-unlikely-bond-with-glen-campbell-w497177

Edited June 12, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[Caseysgirl]

This documentary was disturbing to watch. I think the quote from Danny Bonaduce, “his relationship with happiness was questionable at best.” said a lot.  I remember when he did all those interviews about how awful it was to be a pop idol, I thought , “grow up, most people would love to have your looks, talent , money and adulation - stop your bitching.”  As his story progressed over the years and it became clear that alcoholism was ruining his life,I did feel a bit sorry for him.  Sad end for him.

[jumper sage]

5 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Apparently Alice Cooper is quite a caring and social person.  I saw him speak very fondly about his friend and neighbor Glenn Campbell, when Glenn passed away.  Alice and Glenn, along with their wives were great friends and the men played regular golf.  He noticed when Glenn first started with dementia and he spoke about his feelings on the matter.  It was very touching. Alice is nothing like I had imagined years ago.  Here's a link about it.

https://www.rollingstone.com/country/news/alice-cooper-talks-unlikely-bond-with-glen-campbell-w497177

About a hundred years ago I met him.  I was helping a friend and other kids build the first chip clips.  Her father paid us to build them and then took us out on his boat.  He was parked next to a boat Alice Cooper was on, maybe he owned it.  Anyway, the dad asked if we wanted to meet him and we said yes.  I was the only one to remember my manners and to realize his stage persona is just that, a persona.  He was reading the Wall Street Journal, if I remember correctly, and was very cool and very much an adult.

Being a public librarian in the Detroit area, I hear about a lot of famous people from the cities they lived.  Other very well mannered teens, now stars, are:

• Kid Rock
• Eminem
• Big Sean
• Uncle Kracker

[BW Manilowe]

I found the post where the RN/Hospice nurse said the medical term for what David called "alcohol poisoning" (which it may well have been/been too). I read the Mobile version of the site, & I couldn't copy the post from there, as I originally posted, quoting her mention of Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome; but I thought I remembered you could copy posts if the site was set to Desktop format. So I tried it & it worked. Here's the full post: 

David Cassidy had Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. 

Here's a link to the Wikipedia page about Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, in case anyone's interested in reading it.                                             

Edited June 13, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To add a link and do a little rewording and adding spacing and changing to a capital letter in 1 word.

[BW Manilowe]

@Giant Misfit: It's also available at iTunes, Google Play Music, & Amazon.com.

Edited June 13, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To add links and a period.

[BW Manilowe]

Since I told you the story of me meeting David, I thought I should share the picture of the 2 of us which is actually online & searchable with certain terms (heck, the photo from the first time I did a meet & greet with Barry Manilow is even online, which I wasn't expecting; I use it as my avatar [picture] on Social Media, & I might've posted it to my Social Media, as the small print under it is/includes my, luckily private, account's Twitter ID & I have to approve all my followers because it's private, so I can weed out the weirdos)--if you just pair our names, you won't get it. You have to use a different search term.

Remember I'm only 8 and a half (& in 3rd grade) in this picture. I don't know why it says Cherish Lyrics under it.

I'm also glad I'm actually smiling in it; I found 2 March of Dimes-related pics of me on the Canadian eBay site (it's really interesting what you can find online when you Google yourself--I never imagined I'd be on Canadian eBay) & in 1 pic I look like I'm thinking "Why do I have to take a picture with these bozos?"; in the other I'm still not smiling & I'm looking down at the floor, or something on it, & I think the 3 guys with me in the photo were New Orleans Saints players at the time, because a caption mentions the hotel in New Orleans I still remember my "entourage" (consisting of my mom/chaperone & my then-publicist) & I stayed at & that was mostly because it was in the French Quarter, had a French restaurant &, being a picky eater, the only thing they had on the menu I'd eat was French Fries (& I was lucky they had those). I have no idea how pics with those expressions even got published. Sigh...

[SunnyBeBe]

33 minutes ago, BW Manilowe said:

Since I told you the story of me meeting David, I thought I should share the picture of the 2 of us which is actually online & searchable with certain terms (heck, the photo from the first time I did a meet & greet with Barry Manilow is even online, which I wasn't expecting; I use it as my avatar [picture] on Social Media, & I might've posted it to my Social Media, as the small print under it is/includes my, luckily private, account's Twitter ID & I have to approve all my followers because it's private, so I can weed out the weirdos)--if you just pair our names, you won't get it. You have to use a different search term.

Remember I'm only 8 and a half (& in 3rd grade) in this picture. I don't know why it says Cherish Lyrics under it.

I'm also glad I'm actually smiling in it; I found 2 March of Dimes-related pics of me on the Canadian eBay site (it's really interesting what you can find online when you Google yourself--I never imagined I'd be on Canadian eBay) & in 1 pic I look like I'm thinking "Why do I have to take a picture with these bozos?"; in the other I'm still not smiling & I'm looking down at the floor, or something on it, & I think the 3 guys with me in the photo were New Orleans Saints players at the time, because a caption mentions the hotel in New Orleans I still remember my "entourage" (consisting of my mom/chaperone & my then-publicist) & I stayed at & that was mostly because it was in the French Quarter, had a French restaurant &, being a picky eater, the only thing they had on the menu I'd eat was French Fries (& I was lucky they had those). I have no idea how pics with those expressions even got published. Sigh...

I can't imagine how I would feel to have a photo like that with David.  My goodness. What a dream!  Even though very young, I would have been so thrilled. I think that I liked my idols more than most kids though.  It was just a real special thing to me.  I'm still that way really.  

So, there was Alice Cooper and David that you met.  I'd like to know about the other celebrities.  Can you PM me or is there a thread around here for that kind of thing? 

Edited June 13, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[BW Manilowe]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I can't imagine how I would feel to have a photo like that with David.  My goodness. What a dream!  Even though very young, I would have been so thrilled. I think that I liked my idols more than most kids though.  It was just a real special thing to me.  I'm still that way really.  

So, there was Alice Cooper and David that you met.  I'd like to know about the other celebrities.  Can you PM me or is there a thread around here for that kind of thing? 

 

I actually only met David, not Alice. Another poster met him. But no worries about the error.

There were really too many celebs, from various professions that can make you a celebrity, to name. Suffice to say if they were popular for something in the early-mid 1970's, I probably met them, along with a lot of local/state dignitaries, like Mayors or Governors of wherever I was. I'll PM you the rest of the stuff I was gonna put in here that's way off topic.

Last year, what seemed like a lot of the celebs I met, including David, passed on & I'd comment that I'd actually met them, through my March of Dimes work, in the Celebrity Deaths thread (topic?) when their passing was posted there.

I don't think there's a topic/thread here about "regular people" or fans meeting celebrities. I don't even know if it'd be an appropriate topic here (but, unless I'm mixed up, on the old site we had a thread that was about the nice things celebs would do for fans, not really intending to get publicity from it but people manage to find out about it & it makes news anyway [like they call/FaceTime or Skype/Email or maybe snail-mail/make special videos for sick fans, or treat fans to something special the celeb can do for the fan, like athletes or sports coaches give them at least tickets--if not access to the playing surface for the sport &/or a tour of where they play, &/or a good amount of, usually signed, team swag--to a regular season, playoff, or championship game], or something they can do together), which is the closest we got to discussing celeb interactions with "regular people" or fans.

Edited June 13, 2018 by BW Manilowe
To make various corrections & additions.

[formerlyfreedom]

13 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Can you PM me or is there a thread around here for that kind of thing? 

 

12 hours ago, BW Manilowe said:

I don't think there's a topic/thread here about "regular people" or fans meeting celebrities. I don't even know if it'd be an appropriate topic here (but, unless I'm mixed up, on the old site we had a thread that was about the nice things celebs would do for fans, not really intending to get publicity from it but people manage to find out about it & it makes news anyway [like they call/FaceTime or Skype/Email or maybe snail-mail/make special videos for sick fans, or treat fans to something special the celeb can do for the fan, like athletes or sports coaches give them at least tickets--if not access to the playing surface for the sport &/or a tour of where they play, &/or a good amount of, usually signed, team swag--to a regular season, playoff, or championship game], or something they can do together), which is the closest we got to discussing celeb interactions with "regular people" or fans.

I don't know off the top of my head if there's one, but you could check out the Everything Else TV forum to see if they have something in there; or there's a 'Chit Chat' topic in the Everything Else forum, that talks about lots and lots of different things.

[ShowsILoveToHate]

I really want to watch the documentary but I don't think that I want to ruin my memories of him. I thought he was so adorable, and I loved his voice. I can still hear every song in my head, all of these years later.  

I had a life-sized poster of David on the back on my bedroom door when I was a kid. lol  I saw him twice in concert, and I remember that one of the concerts was right after he had his gall bladder removed, and we could his bandages underneath his white jumpsuit. 

Was he on Celebrity Apprentice? I think I remember some of the other castmates, the men, treating him badly.  Then again, there was some ignorant person who also was mean to George Takei.  People can be real jerks. 

Thanks to everyone for posting about the documentary, and about your personal experiences.  :) 

[msrachelj]

On 6/7/2018 at 8:14 PM, Giant Misfit said:

@BW Manilowe That is an awesome story! My friend and I met David Cassidy back in the 90s at a record store CD signing. He had on more make up than I've worn in my life and he was kind of a douche. We had the time of our lives though—and still recount the story even to this day. I'm glad you got to meet him during his heyday though. And on set! OMG! So fantastic. 

I'm really looking forward to this doc. I recall him appearing on Dr Phil pushing the "I have dementia!" theory and was sad for him because I knew it wasn't true—that he was an alcoholic and needed help. But I'm pretty sure by that appearance, he was too far gone for any sort of intervention. I hope this doc examines the last days of his life in an honest manner and doesn't try to sugar coat the real issue. 

i knew this wasn't true also when i saw dr. phi. and was not surprised when it came out it was due to alcoholism. i can't remember much about what "dr" phil's reaction was though.. i believe he didn't dispute davids claim, did he. what a shyster. 

On 6/11/2018 at 7:43 PM, SunnyBeBe said:

I intend to watch the documentary since I adored David since I was a child.  I just hope the show makes it clear that if someone does have dementia, they may not be able to relay accurate information, or recall what they have said previously, like in previous interviews.  They may also suffer with delusions.  I just hope that is made clear. Dementia is brain damage and I hope they are not holding him to some unfair standard. 

I read today that David's last wife was not pleased with the project, though, I don't know why.  Danny Bonaduce said that he participated, because, David had asked him to. 

 

On 6/7/2018 at 8:14 PM, Giant Misfit said:

@BW Manilowe That is an awesome story! My friend and I met David Cassidy back in the 90s at a record store CD signing. He had on more make up than I've worn in my life and he was kind of a douche. We had the time of our lives though—and still recount the story even to this day. I'm glad you got to meet him during his heyday though. And on set! OMG! So fantastic. 

I'm really looking forward to this doc. I recall him appearing on Dr Phil pushing the "I have dementia!" theory and was sad for him because I knew it wasn't true—that he was an alcoholic and needed help. But I'm pretty sure by that appearance, he was too far gone for any sort of intervention. I hope this doc examines the last days of his life in an honest manner and doesn't try to sugar coat the real issue. 

he did not age well but not surprising due to his alcoholism. hence all the makeup maybe. doesn't surprise me he was a douche. hi seemed so much nicer during my crush days of the partridge family. later interviews he was a real ass.

[msrachelj]

On 6/12/2018 at 5:09 PM, TVFan17 said:

The last person I expected to see in the David Cassidy documentary was Alice Cooper!  lol    Kim Carnes was kind of a surprise too, but not as much as Alice.

I don't know the name of the woman -- the brunette -- who was always in the studio with David and the other musicians/producers/engineers.   She was one of the musicians.  Anyway, did anyone else get the feeling that whenever David was talking and the camera zoomed in on her, she was thinking a million things about him and about his obviously fragile, precarious condition?   Her face said so much, in my opinion.   She looked as though she had so much empathy and concern for him, and probably did not truly buy anything he was trying to sell, but she knew how important it was for him to talk, and she wanted to be an attentive listener.   Every time they showed her, I thought "Oh, she clearly knows he is in bad shape and everyone should be concerned.  She doesn't know what to do."   

It was all very sad and difficult to watch, from start to finish.

"I'll Meet You Halfway" was always one of my favorite Partridge Family songs.  

totally!! i got that from her 100% she could not hide her feelings. . it felt to me that she knew the truth for some reason. that he was drunk and dying from alcoholism. to be perfectly honest,  the entire band had to know the real deal. i doubt they were so ignorant. i'm sure they can recognize someone who has been drinking at this stage of the game. i am convinced these people are way too kind. david was lucky to have them in his life if this is any indication of how they suspended the obvious truth and let him believe his lies were truth.

this was painful to watch. i had a crush on him like many 13 year old girls. he was very pretty. but the downhill decline was hard. i have mixed feelings but i can't help but feel angry that he used demential as a shield and did not tell the truth (which most of us could plainly see) that is was due to abuse. hard to look at him. he was ravaged by alcoholism. a very sad looking 70 year old sick man, making excuses and slurring his words and lying to his fans till the literal end.  

that woman from rolling stone magazine was BRUTAL. although i agree with her! 

[SunnyBeBe]

Did the show purport that David did not have dementia, based solely on a comment that he made late in his illness? People with dementia often deny they have it.  That is quite common.  Most people with dementia forget they have it or they are under a delusion that they don't.  I would hope that they consulted with some professionals, before putting out something negative. 

I plan to watch the show in its entirety this weekend, but, was concerned about how they set out that information.  Can someone explain how it was addressed in the documentary? 

Edited June 14, 2018 by SunnyBeBe

[Guest]

29 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

plan to watch the show in its entirety this weekend, but, was concerned about how they set out that information.  Can someone explain how it was addressed in the documentary? 

It was nothing more than a recording of the producer's cell phone while David Cassidy was on the line telling her that he had lied about the drinking and that he had no signs of dementia— said it was alcohol poisoning and the doctor said his dementia was "directly related to his alcoholism." Fairly certain this is the scene in its entirety:

That was it. Then the documentary more or less ended.

To me, there was very little of present-day David Cassidy in the documentary, relying too heavily on the early 70s footage.  

[SunnyBeBe]

Just now, Giant Misfit said:

It was nothing more than a recording of the producer's cell phone while David Cassidy was on the line telling her that he had lied about the drinking and that he had no signs of dementia— said it was alcohol poisoning and the doctor said his dementia was "directly related to his alcoholism." Fairly certain this is the scene in its entirety:

 

That was it. Then the documentary more or less ended. To me, there was very little of present-day David Cassidy in the documentary. 

Thank you for that information.  It might have been helpful, if the producers had provided some context for David's words. It sounds like he was saying that his dementia was due to alcoholism and that his odd behavior was not just dementia. People with dementia and alcoholism, often continue to drink, which is very destructive.    I think someone upthread posted about one kind of dementia that that is common with alcoholics. I don't take this as him lying about having dementia at all.  Maybe, he was confused or didn't know how to explain his condition.  

I have a family member who I am responsible for, who has dementia.  She is David's age and was stricken with it before he was diagnosed. So, I've become quite familiar with it, due to research, discussions with doctors, psychiatrists, memory care representatives, dementia patients and their families.   My loved one, has Vascular Dementia, which is not caused by alcoholism, but, many long term alcoholics do have dementia due to long term drinking. Dementia can come from a number of conditions, including, alcoholism, Alzheimers, Lewy Body disorder, Parkinsons, etc.  Dementia patients can make many contentions that are not accurate.  That's why when dementia patients go for medical treatment, they have family members or their healthcare Power of Attorney accompany them, because they are often unable to provide accurate information to the doctor.  They may claim they are taking medications, but they aren't. That they eat well, but, they don't. That they have no sleep problems, but, they wander all night, etc.  They may fall down frequently, but, not report this to doctors.  Their sense of reality is often off and they aren't able to function or even take care of themselves, depending on the severity.  Of all those with dementia that I have met in the last 4 years, I don't know any who wouldn't deny having it. 

At this point, I'm not positive of what David's medical condition was, prior to his death, but, I hate to think that some of his behavior that was obnoxious, is attributed to him personally and not to his brain damage. Dementia can make a person snappy, unreasonable, aggressive and intolerable. Some of them have to be placed into memory care facilities due to agitation and resistance to care.   So, I just hope that the real David isn't blurred by his brain damage. 

[Blergh]

Of course, one thing that I think needs mentioning here is that via claiming to have lied about dementia (despite having told a heartbreaking account of his own afflicted mother), the now deceased Mr. Cassidy has just handed those disbelievers ammo. IOW, it's tough enough for those afflicted by dementia to be taken seriously and be given the help they need but now they (and their caregivers) will have to deal with the added ' David Cassidy said he had dementia but then said he really was  drunk so how do we know so-and-so who said they had Alzheimer's isn't lying for pity's sake like David Cassidy did'.

Sorry but the above makes me rather angry and all his talent doesn't erase the needless extra burden he's put on authentic dementia sufferers and their loved ones.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

but, I hate to think that some of his behavior that was obnoxious, is attributed to him personally and not to his brain damage.

FWIW, he was obnoxious when I met him in the 90s. And he seemed drunk or high throughout the entirety of the new footage shown in the documentary. 

[Robert Lynch]

A relative of mine had the same issue with alcoholism and it wasn't easy for him to get it off. It took more than 3 years to lay off the drinking. Sometimes we cannot understand human behavior at all. It one of life's bigger mysteries.

[UYI]

18 hours ago, saoirse said:

 

I don't know off the top of my head if there's one, but you could check out the Everything Else TV forum to see if they have something in there; or there's a 'Chit Chat' topic in the Everything Else forum, that talks about lots and lots of different things.

I seem to remember there being a Celebrity Encounters thread (or something similar) in the Everything Else Movies forum, but I don't think anyone's commented on it in a LONG time. 

[jumper sage]

11 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Did the show purport that David did not have dementia, based solely on a comment that he made late in his illness? People with dementia often deny they have it.  That is quite common.  Most people with dementia forget they have it or they are under a delusion that they don't.  I would hope that they consulted with some professionals, before putting out something negative. 

I plan to watch the show in its entirety this weekend, but, was concerned about how they set out that information.  Can someone explain how it was addressed in the documentary? 

While he "thought" he had dementia he looked like he did to the average person.  Having grown up with an alcoholic I could tell that the alcohol and drugs wasn't helping even if he did have dementia.  When he called after being dried out he sounded very good, clear and with it.  I was shocked at how he walked and he kept saying he took 6 Aleve and I know that people trying to get off of opiods do try to compensate with OTC drugs.  He then said he really needed a Vicodin and he also made a mistake on when he last had a drink and drugs, many times.  I don't think the documentary takes away from who he was.  At that time producers owned you and kept you high and drunk to make you go along with the program.  I hated that his own father took advantage of that too.  Even Marie Osmond said she was sexually abused by someone in the industry and she was with her large family.  Different times.  It's good we know better now.

[Gemma Violet]

I just finished watching the documentary and I had to fast-forward through much of the present-day stuff as it was just too heart-breaking to see how he was in the end.  I preferred watching the early clips when he was young and so beautiful.

[BW Manilowe]

On 6/12/2018 at 9:00 AM, jumper sage said:

So much to say!  I never moved from the couch throughout the whole documentary.  I love that he said he would be honest and he was.  I love that the guy, the keeper if you will, never leaked any of the documentary.  Loved Danny B.  Loved all the background with his father.  I have a father and a brother, the only boy.  I have for years noticed that once the son eclipses the father the relationship is strained.  Our mother loved when we girls received more education and better careers and would beam.  My brother was a loyal son and hard worker.  My father held a job and was an alcoholic.  My brother could have either emulated him or went his own way.  We thank Zeus everyday that he went his own way and became a wonderful brother and the man he is today.

What really struck me about David is that his father was either dismissive of him or used him.  Doing the dirty work of whoever was the "boss" of The Partridge Family was a low blow.  You can look back now and see that he, David, could have probably kept up with the not-working-with-the-agents and maybe separated himself from the show but his father pulled him back in.  All for the price of mini bikes for his brothers and, of course, a percentage for himself.

David was a great singer and musician.  Loved, loved, loved Alice Cooper (I met him once on his boat!).

Sure the subject matter was tough but it shows that alcoholism is one of the most insidious addictions.  At the end, when he became lucid and admitted that he did not have any sign of dementia but it was alcohol poisoning was a great moment.

His dad dying by a lit cig on furniture is almost the iconic death of an alcoholic.

If I could compare this documentary with the Gotti documentary - both men, David Cassidy and John Gotti Jr., had to differentiate themselves from their fathers and in both docs the father/son relationship was key.  Gotti went through hell and back but did get himself and most of his family out of the mobster life whereas David seemed to emulate the very things he didn't like about his father.

Jack did the dirty work for The Partridge Family producers? The way I understood it, according to the lady who I think worked, & interviewed David, for a publishing conglomerate which published a lot of fan magazines aimed at teens & tweens back then, including a magazine devoted to The Partridge Family (& I used to read at least most of their magazines, as a kid), was that it got to the point where David didn't wanna do interviews--at least not with writers from this conglomerate's magazines--so the head of the publishing conglomerate (not the showrunner of The Partridge Family), at least I thought that's who it was, called Jack to intercede with David & get him to cooperate with the magazines again. Jack did, in return for his percentage (whatever that meant in that situation), as you said; along with the conglomerate writing about 1 or more of his sons with Shirley & giving mini bikes to the boys old enough to use them (Ryan was ages 4-8 when the show was on--maybe a bit young for a mini bike at the time) as I remember it was said.

[jumper sage]

I think it was all tied up in a package.