Just days after falling off the stage during a concert at The Canyon Club in Agoura, California, singer David Cassidy told People magazine he is suffering from dementia. The 66-year-old actor/singer is best known for his breakout role as Keith Partridge in the hit 70’s musical sitcom “The Partridge Family,” starring opposite his step-mom Shirley Jones. Cassidy told the magazine that while he had been in denial, a part of him always knew the memory loss disease was coming. Cassidy said he watched his grandfather struggle with the disease and saw his mother disappear into it until she passed away at age 89.
He recalled knowing the way she recognized him was by a single teardrop streaming down her face whenever he entered the room. Cassidy admitted to having a fear of being diagnosed with dementia one day.
A recent scare and awakening
After slurring his words and falling off the stage at The Canyon Club concert on Saturday, David Cassidy told a crowd at the Santa Barbara Performing Arts Center on Sunday that this would be his last show. The singer told People that he wanted to focus on who he is without any distractions and to enjoy life. Video footage from Saturday’s concert shows the “Come on Let’s Get Happy” singer taking long pauses in his songs. This could have been an indication that he was trying to remember the lyrics.
Many in attendance were alarmed by his strange behavior, which including reflecting back on the days when he was a rock and roll star.
Fame, fortune and hard times
Born the son of actor Jack Cassidy, David Cassidy rose to fame in the 1970’s and was a pop culture icon. Roles were fleeting after “The Partridge Family,” although he did earn an Emmy nomination for his 1978 appearance in “Police Story.” Cassidy was most recently seen in a 2013 episode of “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.” He has struggled with alcoholism in the past and was charged with at least three DUI’s over the years. In 2015, Cassidy’s wife filed for a divorce, he filed for bankruptcy and was charged with a hit and run.
