David Cassidy, Teen Idol Trivia Quiz

Answer: Keith Partridge

"The Partridge Family" (1970-74) was a very popular TV show, which starred Shirley Jones as Shirley Partridge. Her character was mother to five children, all talented musicians, although in reality, David Cassidy was the only actor among the five with any musical abilities. The show was loosely based on the real life story of family band, The Cowsills who were popular in the late 60s.
Bonus fact, Jaclyn Smith, Farrah Fawcett and Cheryl Ladd, who would all go on to star in "Charlie's Angels" (1976-81) all appeared as guest stars in the show.

Answer: Evelyn Ward

Cassidy's parents were Jack Cassidy, who won a Grammy and a Tony award for Broadway show, "She Loves Me" (1963), and actress Evelyn Ward. Ward appeared on TV in shows such as "Dr Kildare" in 1961 and "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." in 1964 but is best remembered for her musical theatre work, appearing on Broadway many times.

She was in the original Broadway production of "The Firebrand of Florence" (1945) as well as in "Billion Dollar Baby" (1946) and "Along Fifth Avenue" (1949). Ward and Jack Cassidy divorced in 1956, when David was six years old, and Cassidy then married Shirley Jones, who would, 14 years later play David Cassidy's mum on "The Partridge Family" (1970-74).

Answer: Table Tennis

Aarons won gold medals in the World Table Tennis Championships of 1936 and 1937, being the first American to do so and was also a two time winner of the English Open.
Following her retirement from the sport in 1938, she founded her own talent management company and counted actresses, Celeste Holm and Janis Paige among her clients as well as Cassidy and Oscar winner, George Chakiris.

Answer: Bonanza

Cassidy appeared in single episodes of many TV shows before his big break in "The Partridge Family".These included "Dragnet" in 1968, "Ironside" in 1969 and "Marcus Welby M.D." in 1970.
In his "Bonanza" appearance in 1970, his character, Billy Burgess, following a rough day at school, wishes his teacher would die. When the teacher then turns up murdered, Billy is the prime suspect, but luckily, Ben Cartwright, played by Lorne Greene, has been counselling Billy and is convinced of his innocence.

Answer: Rolling Stone

Cassidy's nude cover was shot for "Rolling Stone" by the great Annie Liebovitz, and showed Cassidy reclining on the grass, with the photo cut to show just a hint of pubic hair.
Although Cassidy was achieving huge success at the time of the photo, he felt constrained by it as his teen idol status was at odds with who he really was.
Cassidy was a regular in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district in his late teens and enjoyed the drugs which went with the culture. He also idolized Jimi Hendrix and wanted to be seen as competition for Mick Jagger, none of which he felt he could express.
In hindsight, Cassidy said that maybe he could have expressed his desires differently, as Liebovitz's photo caused him to be dropped from guest appearances on TV shows and Coca-Cola pulled out of their sponsorship of him.

Answer: Daydreamer/The Puppy Song

"Daydreamer/The Puppy Song" (1973) was also a top ten hit in Australia and a top five hit in South Africa. "Daydreamer" was also been covered by Cilla Black in 1974 and Claude Francois, who had a hit in France with the song, also in 1974.
"The Puppy Song" (1973) was written by Harry Nilsson for Mary Hopkin, at the request of Paul McCartney. The track appeared on her 1969 album, "Post Card" as well as on Nilsson's album from the same year, "Harry".
The Nilsson version of the song was used in 1998 for the opening credits of "You've Got Mail" starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

Answer: I Write The Songs

"I Write The Songs" (1975) was written by Beach Boy, Bruce Johnston and originally appeared on the Captain & Tennille album, "Love Will Keep Us Together" (1975). Cassidy was the first person to release the track as a single and while his version just failed to crack the top ten in UK, it wasn't a hit at all on the Billboard Hot 100 in USA.
When Barry Manilow released the song, also in 1975 it soon became a hit in USA, and topped the Billboard Hot 100 in January 1976.

Answer: No Bridge I Wouldn't Cross

All of the possible answers were taken from Cassidy's 1998 album, "Old Trick New Dog", but "No Bridge I Wouldn't Cross" was the only one released as a single. This was Cassidy's first hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary since 1990, when "Lyin' To Myself" had reached number 25.
The album, "Old Trick New Dog" featured new songs along with re-workings of old Partridge Family tracks, including their first single, "I Think I Love You", originally released in 1970.

Answer: George Michael

George Michael always had huge admiration for Cassidy, citing him as a major influence when he was growing up. Not only did he provide backing vocals for this track, taken from Cassidy's 1985 comeback album, "Romance", he also interviewed Cassidy for fashion magazine "Ritz".
Although it came across as amusing at the time, given Cassidy's battles with alcoholism and Michael's substance abuse issues, it now seems quite tragic that Michael remarked after the interview, that it had to be done twice, as on the first attempt they both got too drunk to function.
Michael died in December 2016, aged just 53 and Cassidy died almost a year later in November 2017, aged 67.

Answer: Donny Osmond

Although the 1904 musical "Little Johnny Jones" may not be well known, the songs from it such as "Give My Regards to Broadway" and "The Yankee Doodle Boy" certainly are. The show was revived in 1981, with Cassidy playing the lead role and began a West Coast run, but by time it reached Broadway, Cassidy had been replaced by Donny Osmond. Cassidy would go on to replace two big stars in stage musicals though, when he took over from Andy Gibb in the Broadway production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" in 1983 and then from Sir Cliff Richard in the West End production of "Time" in 1987.