David Cassidy on the Web
There were thousands of girls at the airport and lining the streets. When Glaswegians love you they let you know...
From Glasgow Evening Times Online
June 2005
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| DAVID CASSIDY: 'One of the reasons I agreed to this tour is because I can bring my son Beau with me' | DAVID arrives in Glasgow in 1974 | IN TUNE: My son knows all about my past, he's read all the stories |
DAVID CASSIDY comes to Glasgow this Saturday with the Once In A Lifetime tour, sharing a stage with 70s legends David Essex, The Osmonds, and Les McKeown's Bay City Rollers.
By Brian Beacom
BRIAN BEACOM talks to the 54-year-old former teen idol who plans to invite his teenage son up on stage with him in Glasgow.
WHAT a difference a decade - or three - makes. Back in 1971 David Cassidy was the biggest pop star on the planet, the heart-throb who had more underwear thrown at him than Elvis, Englebert and Tom put together.
But while millions of girls blu-tacked his face on to their bedroom walls, Cassidy came to hate that same face when he looked in the mirror.
By 1974 he could no longer handle the constant adulation, the demands on his time, and the 32-strong entourage.
Since the moment he sang I Think I Love You via the Partridge Family TV series, it all became surreal.
The iron gates of Cassidy's home, he recalls, were stormed by girls determined to get at him - and he let them.
"No-one got hurt," he said, of these pre-AIDS days. "And I have no regrets."
Now, when he speaks from his Florida home of early life as a performer, it's clear that womanising lifestyle is gone.
Cassidy punctuates conversations constantly with tales of family life.
At 54, he is all grown-up now. And when he speaks of son Beau, almost 14, the pride in his voice is so palpable it could almost be extracted and bottled.
"Beau's a fantastic singer," his father said. "He's been winning prizes with his school choir and he's a terrific sportsman. But most of all, he's a terrific person."
Where Cassidy was once on the road for months at a time, now he won't leave Beau and partner Sue for much more than a week.
"One of the reasons I agreed to this tour is because I can bring Beau with me. And you know, I'll probably get him up on stage in Glasgow to sing with me. That will be a first.
"But not only do we get to hang out together, the experience is great for him. I don't know if he will go on to become a performer but at least he sees what it's all about.
"He sees the work ethic I have. He sees how I do the publicity, all the attention that comes with being a performer. And he learns a fantastic amount from being around me."
Beau also knows the detail of his dad's adventures with the ladies. "Sure he knows all about my past," says David. "He's seen the videos. He's read the stories. He's cool."
It's perhaps not surprising Beau is the axis on which Cassidy's world now tilts.
Before Beau came along, David himself had more demons haunting his feather-cut head than an entire series of Buffy. And those demons were a result of being worshipped. He couldn't appreciate his own talent. The adulation, he believed, was all down to his good looks. However Cassidy didn't - like Marti Pellow - turn to hard drugs, nor did he become a Cat Stevens and give his life to God.
Instead, David took perhaps the most difficult road. He tried to live a normal life. And failed.
Two broken marriages were followed by the longest time in analysis. But it worked. It helped him 'understand who he truly was i.e. a bona fide performer, that the massive career hadn't all been a fluke. And as the sessions increased, so did his confidence. All he had to do was prove he could perform.
Cassidy gradually re-built his career, beginning in theatre playing Blood Brothers in New York. The renaissance led to a stint at Las Vegas, where he went on to play more than 2000 shows.
Meantime, he married singer-songwriter Sue Shifrin and they have been together since 1986. Now, still slim and with pin-up looks intact, he performs every concert as if it were his last.
"I truly love what I do now," he said, his voice serious. "And when I come to cities such as Glasgow and realise the fans are still out there now I appreciate it's a fantastic feeling.
"There were thousands of girls at the airport, but as we left the BBC to go to the stadium I was amazed to see girls lined up all along the streets, waving at me from both sides of the road.
"Now, I can appreciate that support. And thoughts like that stay with you through difficult times. Glaswegians really are remarkable. When they love you they let you know."
Cassidy has the fame experience in perspective.
"I love to get out and see the world around me. A couple of years ago after a gig in Glasgow I went to a sports bar in town to watch an American football match. It was the guys who recognised me and everyone wanted to buy me a pint. They were so respectful."
When offered the chance to appear with other 70s pin-ups David Essex, The Osmonds, Les McKeown's Bay City Rollers, he jumped at it; there were no ego problems of sharing the limelight.
"Not at all," he said. "It's a great chance to appear before lots of fans.
"Any free time I have in Glasgow will give me the chance to take Beau off to the golf course," he added, confirming he's not only a survivor, but a changed man.
