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Barb Collentine and Karen Ranieri, two lifelong David Cassidy fans, came up with the idea to memorialize the entertainer in his boyhood hometown of West Orange, New Jersey. Two years later, their hard work is paying off as the city dedicates a street in Cassidy's name, and places a historical marker on the baseball field where he once played.  

In a two-and-a-half day celebration of Cassidy's legacy, fans from across the U.S. - and from around the world - will gather in West Orange for official ceremonies, a glamorous gala, and a variety of Cassidy's old friends and family.

Hear how it all came to fruition and what's going to occur on July 29 thru July 31, 2025 in the city Cassidy once called home.

Learn more on our corresponding Facebook page also called My Life with David Cassidy and join the discussion. And please be sure to like and follow this podcast.

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You can support producer and host Carol Kaplan's efforts to bring you these episodes by buying her a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/carolkaplan.

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Johnny Ray Miller is an actor, author, huge Partridge Family fan, who befriended David Cassidy, and is currently working on publishing a book of photos of David that were taken by famed rock 'n roll photographer Henry Diltz.  In this episode, Johnny talks about the arduous task of sifting through 15,000 photos (!), how he got to know David as well as his step-mom, Shirley Jones, and half-brother Ryan Cassidy. 

Johnny's previously published books include "When We're Singin': The Partridge Family and Their Music," a virtual encyclopedia of nearly every song ever performed on the classic TV show. He also co-wrote a book with Ryan Cassidy called "James Cagney was My Babysitter."

Johnny explains why he thinks we still love David, and the importance of supporting David's legacy.  Johnny (and me) will be appearing at the "David Cassidy West Orange Historical Marker" celebration in late July, 2025.

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You can support producer and host Carol Kaplan's efforts to bring you these episodes by buying her a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/carolkaplan.

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She may have been the one woman in David's life whose relationship with him lasted longer than any of his marriages.  And, she may have been the only one who never wanted to marry him. Yet, Sherry Williams-Benedon - mother of his first child - remained largely in the shadows.  Who is she? How did they meet? Why did they never marry? And how did she raise their child, the actor Katie Cassidy, a third generation Cassidy talent?  The world has never heard from her, but they will now, with Benedon's first-ever interview. 

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You can support producer and host Carol Kaplan's efforts to bring you these episodes by buying her a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/carolkaplan.

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In Part 2 of the interview with David Cassidy's second wife, Meryl Tanz, listeners experience the most intimate, heartfelt portrayal of the pop idol ever before recorded. TRIGGER WARNING: discussion includes domestic violence, infidelity and substance abuse.  Some Cassidy fans may wish to skip this episode. However, Ms. Tanz presents David as he really was, his ups and downs, his personal anger and anguish, the difficulty of navigating extreme fame in real life, while fleshing out his character as somehow still gentle, funny and loving. You will come away feeling you know the real David Cassidy as never before. An additional surprise in this episode may leave you teary.  Grab a box of tissues for this one.  Also, please join the discussion after listening to this episode on our sister Facebook page also called, "My Life with David Cassidy."  And please do leave us a review! 

P.S. More episodes are coming, with show-stopping guests that you won't hear anywhere else!

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You can support producer and host Carol Kaplan's efforts to bring you these episodes by buying her a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/carolkaplan.

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In his autobiography, David Cassidy describes her as strikingly attractive and "lookin' for love."  In the first episode of Season Two, South African horse breeder Meryl Tanz describes meeting the number one American heartthrob of the time, how he asked her to dance, how he sang to her, and how they fell  in love on their first  date. Their marriage may have only lasted from 1984 to 1988, but Meryl's insights about Cassidy are unlike anything you've ever heard. This marks Ms. Tanz's first and (to date) only interview ever given about her marriage to the pop icon, and results in information never before publicly revealed. Leave your thoughts and opinions on our Facebook page also called "My Life with David Cassidy," and read fellow fans observations about this historic interview. Please also leave us a review! 

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You can support producer and host Carol Kaplan's efforts to bring you these episodes by buying her a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/carolkaplan.

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Author, playwright and producer Chip Deffaa continues his interview about David Cassidy while working with Cassidy on the entertainer's autobiography.  Produced and hosted by Carol Kaplan.  Be sure to visit the Facebook group of the same name, My Life with David Cassidy, to join the discussion after each episode. And please rate and review this podcast so more Cassidy fans around the world will know about it!

Support the show

You can support producer and host Carol Kaplan's efforts to bring you these episodes by buying her a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/carolkaplan.

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Author, playwright, and producer Chip Deffaa knew David Cassidy's most intimate life stories like few others.  As ghost writer of David's autobiography, C'mon Get Happy:  Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus, Chip spent weeks with David going over the highs and lows of his life -- including reviewing all of the recordings taped by Elliot Mintz (see episode 1) as part of his research.  Chip provides insight into the real David Cassidy that few others can.  For more about Chip, visit www.ChipDeffaa.com.  

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You can support producer and host Carol Kaplan's efforts to bring you these episodes by buying her a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/carolkaplan.

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Part 2 of conversation with Ann Moses,  former Tiger Beat editor and author of "Meow: My Groovy Life with Tiger Beat's Teen Idols."  Ann discusses why David Cassidy seemed burdened by an inner sadness even at the height of his fame, his relationships with Partridge Family cast members, and why we continue to be fascinated with David 50 years after the Partridge Family TV series went on the air in September 1970. 

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You can support producer and host Carol Kaplan's efforts to bring you these episodes by buying her a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/carolkaplan.

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Ann Moses was a typical California teenager when she began writing about the music scene in Hollywood in 1965. From 1965 to 1972, her job at Tiger Beat made her the youngest editor of a national magazine in the country.  There, she interviewed all the fan favorites -- from Paul Revere and the Raiders to Bobby Sherman, the Monkees, the Osmonds, and of course, David Cassidy, star of ABC's The Partridge Family.  Ann spent hundreds of hours interviewing and observing a young Cassidy on set, witnessing his transformation from a very young, aspiring actor to a world-famous concert artist.

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You can support producer and host Carol Kaplan's efforts to bring you these episodes by buying her a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/carolkaplan.

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David Cassidy captured the hearts of fans around the globe when he burst onto the scene as the singing and guitar-strumming Keith Partridge in The Partridge Family television series from 1970 to 1974.  He went on to a successful solo career, becoming a platinum-selling recording artist, and went on to stage fame as an actor and singer on Broadway, London’s West End, and in Las Vegas.  Yet, for all the highs in his nearly 50-year career, there were deep lows, personal and professional struggles, and plenty of heartbreak. How did he manage to keep us entertained for decades while fighting demons behind the scene?  Find out about the real David Cassidy in this ground-breaking podcast series which will include unedited, hour-long interviews with many of the people closest to him.
This episode features an interview with Hollywood media rep Elliot Mintz, a close friend of David's who was there with him almost from the very beginning.  In 1975, Elliot taped nearly 40 hours of interviews with David about his experiences as one of the world's most sought-after performers.  Those tapes sat in a vault until Elliot publicly released them for the first time in December 2019, two years after Cassidy's death.  In this episode, host Carol Kaplan questions Mintz on how those interviews came to be, along with Mintz's recollections of the crazy days of the early 1970's, and his reflections on the impact fame had on a very young performer.

Support the show

You can support producer and host Carol Kaplan's efforts to bring you these episodes by buying her a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/carolkaplan.