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Danny Bonaduce, Partridge Family Fans React To David Cassidy Dementia Diagnosis

By Victoria Miller
Published on: 22:08 PST, Feb 20, 2017

Danny Bonaduce is asking fans to show their support for his Partridge Family brother, David Cassidy. On the heels of Cassidy’s announcement that he is suffering from early-stage dementia, Bonaduce took to Twitter to show support for his friend and co-star. Danny reminded fans that the ’70s teen idol once had a bigger fan club than Elvis Presley and the Beatles, and asked fans to send him their love.

In a statement posted by Today.com. Danny Bonaduce reaffirmed his support for his longtime friend and Partridge Family co-star.

“Over the years, David Cassidy has been extraordinarily kind to me, especially when times have been rough,” Bonaduce said. “Now I am there for David 100%. In interviews over the years, much is made of the fact that, at one point, [he] had a bigger fan club than Elvis and the Beatles combined. So, to all of you 20 million or so David Cassidy fans out there, please let him know how much you care.”

In an interview with Access Hollywood, Danny Bonaduce said he still sees David fairly often.

“I didn’t know he was suffering from any kind of dementia,” Bonaduce admitted.

“I was reading in the newspapers and seeing on TV…that he was having a drinking problem, which I found shocking. I’ve known the guy my whole life and never saw him have a drink, and all of the sudden at the age of 60 he develops this problem. And now I can see it might have been a coping mechanism.”

Bonaduce, who now works as a Seattle radio host, added that Cassidy has been as much a brother to him as his two real-life brothers. He also credits Cassidy with helping him beat his own drug and alcohol addiction. During the interview, which can be seen below, Danny Bonaduce became emotional when he saw a recent clip of David.

Danny Bonaduce played the middle brother, Danny Partridge, on the Partridge Family for four years, trading barbs and song lyrics with the “I Think I Love You” singer from 1970-1974. Danny is the first Partridge Family alum to speak out on the ’70s superstar’s health announcement. The ABC comedy about a traveling musical family also starred Shirley Jones, Susan Dey, Brian Forster, Suzanne Crough, and Dave Madden.

In addition to Danny Bonaduce, many other fans and friends have posted reaction to Cassidy’s announcement, including singer Eric Carmen. The Raspberries frontman posted a throwback photo from 1976 after a show at the Roxy, saying he was thinking about his old friend after the sad news.

Cassidy broke the news to People magazine following a disastrous concert in Agoura Hills, California, over the weekend that had some people questioning if he had been drinking during the show. TMZ posted a video from the concert which showed the 66-year-old singer slurring words, forgetting lyrics and even taking a tumble off the stage. Sources told TMZ the singer had not been drinking before the show.

David Cassidy’s grandfather and mother, Evelyn Ward, both died after battling dementia, and now the ’70s superstar says he always knew it would happen to him, too.

“I was in denial, but a part of me always knew this was coming,” the singer told People.

After a nearly 50-year career, the singer now says he plans to stop touring as a musician so he can focus on his health.

“I want to focus on what I am, who I am and how I’ve been without any distractions,” he told the magazine. “I want to love. I want to enjoy life.”

Cassidy’s fans knew something was going on with him. In January, he posted a message on his official website announcing he was retiring at the end of this year. And earlier this month, he posted that while he loves to play and perform, “it’s much more difficult for me now.” The pop icon added that his announcement to stop performing live was the most difficult decision he has ever made in his life.

Danny Bonaduce has long been in awe of his TV brother’s insane brand of fame back in his teen idol heyday. Bonaduce once revealed that he lost his virginity to a Cassidy groupie castoff. In an interview on the website C’mon Get Happy, Danny also compared the superstar singer to other teen idols of the era, saying onetime Partridge Family guest star Bobby Sherman was never the star that David was.

“[He] was as famous as Elvis or McCartney,” Bonaduce said of his ’70s co-star. “Bobby Sherman was like New Kids on the Block in comparison.”

In comparison, Danny Bonaduce once told Oprah: Where Are They Now? that he was “homeless and famous” right after The Partridge Family ended.

“I was still famous, and people had no idea I lived behind the dumpster,” Danny revealed. “I’d be taking pictures with people and signing autographs.”

Still, Danny Bonaduce always remained friends with his Partridge Family big brother, a fact that Cassidy confirmed in a 2013 interview on Oprah: Where Are They Now?

“Danny and I have seen one another, we saw each other a lot until last year when he moved to Seattle with his wife,” David said in 2013. “His wife is a beautiful person — just straightened his butt out big time. He’s now, ‘Yes, dear.’ He finally grew up and we’ve been friends. I love him. He’s a really good human being. He’s extremely talented.”

Take a look at the video below for more on Danny Bonaduce’s lifelong friendship with his TV co-star.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOGpWaBqCH0

[Featured Image by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images]

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