Tributes Pour In After Former Teen Idol David Cassidy Dies at 67

The 70s heartthrob had suffered health troubles in recent years.

Singer and Partridge Family star David Cassidy has died at 67.

The 1970s teen heartthrob had recently been admitted to the intensive care unit of a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., hospital, according to reports.

Cassidy died Tuesday after suffering liver and kidney failure, according to his publicist, Jo-Ann Geffen.

"David died surrounded by those he loved, with joy in his heart and free from the pain that had gripped him for so long," Geffen said. "Thank you for the abundance of love and support you have shown him these many years."

Cassidy had experienced personal setbacks recently, including a string of DUI arrests and a more recent disclosure that he was suffering from early-stage dementia.

But his life and career were also marked by major accomplishments.

As the star of The Partridge Family, Cassidy became both a music and television icon as Keith Partridge, the eldest son of the family band and the voice that helped make their single, "I Think I Love You," a full-blown No. 1 Billboard hit in 1970.

The group would go on to play hundreds of concerts worldwide with The Partridge Family to support the 10 albums they would produce.

Cassidy also released eight solo albums. 

A failed television show would follow Cassidy's success on The Partridge Family, as would a Broadway show and the birth of Cassidy's daughter, Katie, in 1986.

Cassidy welcomed a son, Beau, with third wife Sue Shifrin-Cassidy, in 1991.

A period of professional successes, notably in Las Vegas, stretched into the 2000s before problems again began to plague the entertainer.

In 2010, Cassidy was arrested for DUI in Florida before being charged with two more, in August 2013 and January 2014. Also in 2014, Shifrin-Cassidy filed for divorce after 23 years.

Most recently, Cassidy was in the headlines for more sad reasons: In 2017 he announced he was suffering from early stage dementia and was retiring from showbiz once and for all.

In spite of the setbacks that appeared to plague Cassidy in his final years, celebrities who knew him celebrated him after news of his death broke late Tuesday.

"So sad to hear of the passing of david cassidy... he was always so kind to me - such a pleasure to have had him on my show... sending love and prayers to his family... R.I.P. friend," Harry Connick Jr. tweeted with a photo of himself arm-in-arm with Cassidy.

Maureen McCormick, who played Marcia Brady on The Brady Bunch, shared a similar sentiment.

"So very sad to hear of David Cassidy passing away? He was always so kind and sweet to me," she wrote. "Our shows were both on Friday nights and deep down I dreamt of being a Partridge. His memory and love will live on in my ❤️forever. Love you David. Prayers to his family."

"I’m very sad to hear about David Cassidy," musician Brian Wilson said. "There were times in the mid-1970s when he would come over to my house and we even started writing a song together. He was a very talented and nice person. Love & Mercy to David and his family."

And speaking for the family, Cassidy's nephew also put out a statement celebrating his uncle's unforgettable contributions.

"My uncle David Cassidy has sadly passed away tonight... & in the process of mourning I can't help but thank God for the joy that he brought to countless millions of people! I don't think I'm alone in saying that we will all miss him. God Speed!" Jack Cassidy wrote.

 

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