Partridge Family, The

The Partridge Family was put together by producer Wes Farrell who had been looking for a Monkees-style group for several years without success. Like The Monkees, the TV show was going to be the focal point – a musical family with the plot mirroring the exploits of real-life recording family The Cowsills, who had several hits in the late 60’s.

Shirley Jones and her real-life stepson David Cassidy were the only recognised singers, but that didn’t stop a string of hit singles and a Grammy nomination for best new group.

When the show first started, Chris Partridge was played by Jeremy Gelbwaks but everyone complained about his behaviour. So they replaced him with Brian Forster who stuck with the role until the show ended. The studio didn’t receive a single letter about the recasting.

In 1991, Danny Bonaduce was arrested for assaulting a prostitute in Phoenix, Arizona. It seems Bonaduce had quite literally got more than he bargained for since the ‘she’ was, in fact, a ‘he’. Slightly peeved, Bonaduce demanded a refund, assaulted the transvestite and fled the scene at 125 mph . . .

Suzanne Crough died suddenly at her home in Laughlin, Nevada, on 27 April 2015, at the age of 52.

According to the coroner, Crough’s cause of death was arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, a rare form of cardiomyopathy.

David Cassidy passed away in November 2017, aged 67.

David Cassidy
Vocals, guitar
Shirley Jones
Vocals, keyboards
Susan Dey
Vocals, keyboards
Danny Bonaduce
Bass, vocals
Brian Forster
Vocals, drums
Jeremy Gelbwaks
Vocals, drums
Suzanne Crough
Tambourine, percussion