Jim Stevens has been a music fan all his life specifically David Cassidy’s vocals with The Partridge Family.

The Beatles were an early influence for him and music has helped him in recent years on a journey of self-discovery. It is well worth checking out his You Tube channel and listen to two of his creative albums BeDo and Connective Energies.

We discuss the pressures of fame, how rock music changed in the 1980s and 1990s and where David Cassidy’s music and reinvention of his career sits in the history of rock music.

Jim Stevens - YouTube

My guest today is Dr Quizzler who experiments with music and puts his own identity onto covers of The Partridge Family songs.

He refers to the family garage as his “happy place” and in our conversation explains his musical heritage, why he loves the music and its importance to future generations.

You can visit his YouTube channel: Summer Days - Partridge Family / David Cassidy (Cover by DrQuizzler) - YouTube

Listen and Follow on Apple:  The David Cassidy Connections on Apple Podcasts

Listen and Follow on Google: Google Podcasts - the david cassidy connections

Listen and Follow on Spotify: The David Cassidy Connections | Podcast on Spotify

www.davidcassidylegacy.com

Twitter:

@LouisePoynton

David Cassidy Rocks @CassidyUnited

Instagram: louisepoyntonauthor

All episodes can also be found in short and full formats on You Tube. Subscribe to Louise Poynton

Cherish David Cassidy A Legacy of Love is available from Amazon and all bookshops online or in store.

This is the third part of 3 specials celebrating 2 years of The David Cassidy Connections, created and presented by journalist and author, Louise Poynton.

David reached the hearts and souls of millions around the world and left his mark in many ways, primarily the inspiration to change lives. These are their stories.

Listen and Follow on Apple:  The David Cassidy Connections on Apple Podcasts

Listen and Follow on Google: Google Podcasts - the david cassidy connections

Listen and Follow on Spotify: The David Cassidy Connections | Podcast on Spotify

www.davidcassidylegacy.com

Twitter:

@LouisePoynton

David Cassidy Rocks @CassidyUnited

Instagram: louisepoyntonauthor

All episodes can be found in short and full formats on You Tube. Subscribe to Louise Poynton

Cherish David Cassidy A Legacy of Love is available from Amazon and all bookshops online or in store.

This is the second of 3 specials celebrating 2 years of The David Cassidy Connections, created and presented by journalist and author, Louise Poynton.

David reached the hearts and souls of millions around the world and left his mark in many ways, primarily the inspiration to change lives. These are their stories.

This is the first part of 3 specials celebrating 2 years of The David Cassidy Connections, created and presented by journalist and author, Louise Poynton.

David reached the hearts and souls of millions around the world and left his mark in many ways, primarily the inspiration to change lives. These are their stories.

Brad Kyle is a music enthusiast whose professional career in radio started in 1975 the summer he met David Cassidy. Their interview for his university radio station in Houston, Texas, turned out to be a conversation which allowed David to be relaxed, amusing and honest about his solo career as he embarked on a new career path.

Brad currently provides content on Front Row & Backstage | Brad Kyle | Substack where you will find his full archive of published articles about music and sport.

We talk about his meeting with David, observations of his career, the burden of being marketed to a teenage market, where he places David in the history of American music and his connection with Judy Garland and The Sex Pistols.

Las Vegas Entertainer Michael La Rocca reveals the majority of things he has done in his life and career lead back to David Cassidy.

Michael started his career in 1970 in a local production of The Wizard of Oz in Buffalo, New York. He was King of the Flying Monkeys. The film had a massive impact on his life.

He appeared in his first professional production three years later when still only 14, and received five-star acclaim starring in a six-year run of his super-successful nightclub show Bravo Broadway.

He has hosted several CBS telecasts of the Miss America State Pageant, and took his one-man show to Las Vegas to critical acclaim.

His theatrical credits include starring roles in many musicals including Hello Dolly!, Oklahoma, Grease, Sweet Charity and Godspell. He also created several popular musical reviews.

Michael is a Minister with the Universal Life Church and calls himself the Tin Man as a result of the numerous spinal surgeries he has undergone.

He runs a Facebook group The Partridge Family…Get On The Bus   THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY...GET ON THE BUS | Facebook

Join me to celebrate the 50th episode with a very special guest.

Ron Hicklin is the unknown singer behind the backing vocals of hundreds of recording artists. His vocal group, The Ron Hicklin Singers, became the “go to” backing vocalists for the top groups and solo artists, and were the real singers behind the background vocals of David Cassidy and The Partridge Family.

Ron rarely gives interviews, but today shares with me some of the highlights of his career working with some of the biggest stars on the planet from Elvis to The Three Tenors. He was also the voice of Alvin in The Chipmunks, and a ghost singer for The Monkees.

He describes himself as a “hidden star” whose voice has featured on around 100 number one hits; up to 400 movies, television themes including Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Batman, Flipper, plus radio and tv commercials.

Ron kept detailed notes about every session over the 4 year run of the Partridge Family television series, a breakdown of which can be found on the website: The PF Recording Sessions! (cmongethappy.com) 

As a youngster he loved singing, joined a local singing group and formed his own group when 11 years old. Ron graduated from Renton High School in Washington and had planned on becoming a doctor studying at the University of Washington, but his first love music was pulling him back.

At 19 he and his group signed with Capitol Records but realised he did not want to be a star and abandoned that for studio work.

In the 1980s, Ron created Killer Music to write, perform and produce custom commercials which led to the company becoming the best in the business. This led to the creation of a catalogue music production company, Killer Tracks, which he again took to the top of the charts.

Liza Coppola learned to play the guitar at the age of 13, inspired by David Cassidy and the music of The Partridge Family.

She explored her love of music and singing, over the years building her confidence and skills to perform in public. She has been singing and playing her favourite songs from the soundtrack of her life in restaurants and coffee shops for the past 15 years. Her opening number, of course, is C’mon Get Happy.

Originally from the New York City area, Liza is mother to two daughters Dana and Brette.

Liza shared her life story and photographs of meeting David and his mother, Evelyn Ward, with me for Cherish David Cassidy A Legacy of Love available from Amazon and bookshops in store or online.

Check out her Facebook page for details of upcoming gigs

www.facebook.com/fearlessacousticrock/

This week my special guest is talking about his amazing life journey which took him from being a songwriter for The Partridge Family to discovering, producing and managing Bruce Springsteen.

Mike Appel always wanted to be a songwriter and musician starting his career in the Brill Building which was the heartbeat of the music industry in New York.

Born in Flushing, Queens, he was a member of groups in the 1950s and 1960s including The Balloon Farm, co-writing their 1967 hit, A Question of Temperature. Mike worked with song writing duos including Leiber & Stoller, Hugo & Luigi.

With his writing partner Jim Cretecos, five songs they penned together were recorded by The Partridge Family – the million seller Doesn’t Somebody Want To Be Wanted along with I Can Feel Your Heartbeat, Somebody Wants To Love You, Rainmaker and Umbrella Man.

Mike went on to discover and manage Bruce Springsteen. He produced Springsteen's first two albums and co-produced Springsteen’s third and breakthrough album, Born To Run.

In our conversation Mike talks about the skills he has learnt from other songwriters, his own writing technique, the first meeting of songwriters at the pilot showing of The Partridge Family, the legacy of that music, and how he would have managed David Cassidy.

He is currently working on a Broadway musical, Stage Door Johnny, and his autobiography.

Visit his website:

Mike Appel: writer, musician, singer, arranger & producer