David Cassidy on the Web
A Partridge in a family tree
August 8, 2008
Cassidy happy to sing for three generations of fans
By Jim Knippenberg
The Enquirer
http://news.cincinnati.com
Here's why David Cassidy loves performing at events like this weekend's Union Centre Boulevard Bash:
He sees an audience full of baby boomers who watched "The Partridge Family" with their kids 30-plus years ago, he sees the kids they watched it with, and those kids have their own kids in tow.
"I'm truly one of few and fortunate to have that kind of demographic - three generations in the audience happens whenever I play, except the casinos. It's one of the perks of four decades in the business," he said last week from his horse farm in upstate New York.
Cassidy is Saturday's headliner and has been in the business for most of his 58 years. The son of actor Jack Cassidy and actress Evelyn Ward, and the stepson of actress/singer Shirley Jones, he hit the big time in 1970 when he landed the role of Keith Partridge. The comedy series ended in 1974.
Oddly, he wasn't hired to sing.
"They hired us as actors, and after the network picked up the pilot, I grabbed my guitar and went to the producers and said, 'Look, I've been in bands all my life. I play, and I sing. I think I should do it in the show.' They bought it."
Today, 24 gold and platinum records later, he's still performing and attracting crowds. Like the 50,000 or so expected this weekend in West Chester Township.
As street festivals go, Bash is the new kid. Founded in 2003 by the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber in what was once a dusty field, it was the chamber's first reach into the northern suburbs.
Cassidy will be backed Saturday by the same band he's had for years - two guitars, keyboard, bass and drums - but he won't say what he'll sing.
"There are the Partridge hits, of course, and an acoustic set with just me and a guitar, but I like to keep everything spontaneous. It's not so much a performance - I hate those scripted things - as it is about the beauty and magic of interacting. The set list changes with every show - more rock, less rock, more soulful, it's all about spontaneity and passion."
Performing is one of his passions. Horses are another.
He breeds thoroughbreds on a farm overlooking New York's Saratoga Lake and loves heading to the barn in the morning and "hanging out with the 'hard-boots.' Those are the guys from Kentucky who take care of things. I've been in the business for 30 years, but under a fake name. It's only recently that I started using my real name with the business."
He loves the business but doesn't ride the horses.
"I've had some back problems, and at this stage of my life, riding is something my body can do without. I can ride or I can perform, but I can't do both."
He'll be performing a great deal more in the coming weeks.
"I have a TV project in the works with my brothers Shaun, Patrick and Ryan. This is something we've been talking about all our lives, and now it's finally happening. We have a network, a studio, scripts and we go into production in about six weeks. If all goes well, people will see it within a year.
"It's not autobiographical, but it certainly draws from our personal and professional experience. It's a comedy and very edgy.
"I hope this doesn't sound goofy, but I love performing in all its forms. It's what lifts me up and keeps me going."
If you go
What: Union Centre Boulevard Bash
Where: The Square at Union Centre on Union Centre Boulevard, West Chester Township, just west of Interstate 75
When: 5 p.m. -midnight today, 2 p.m.-midnight Saturday, 2 p.m.-10 p.m. Sunday
Cost: Free
Information: 513-579-3100 or www.unioncentreblvdbash.com
