Get Happy? The Tragic True Story Behind the Scenes of “The Partridge Family”

ABC’s seminal sitcom *The Partridge Family* was one of the most successful and popular TV shows of all time. The show was a unique blend of TV drama and comedy, while also incorporating musical elements and providing some of the most classic soundtracks to the 70s. But even though fans and viewers around the world adored the show for its wholesome charm, the truth behind the scenes was a lot darker, and at times tragic. Let’s take a look at the dark secrets behind the scenes of this iconic show.

Leading Lady

Of course, you can’t think of *The Partridge Family* without thinking of Shirley Jones, who led the stellar cast of the sitcom with her starring turn as the family matriarch, Shirley Partridge. The show followed Shirley, a widowed and working mom, as she navigated raising her family alone while also juggling a full-time job. Jones quickly became an audience favorite, portraying Shirley with wit and charm, and paving the way for the show’s stellar success. But behind the smiles on-screen, she was hiding many dark secrets.

Strong Female

Many people often liken the classic show *The Partridge Family* to that other iconic unconventional family sitcom, *The Brady Bunch*. However, Jones was adamant that the two shows were very different—and actually, that was the reason she took the role in the first place. She admitted that she was once slated to play Carol Brady, but she turned it down because she felt she wouldn’t have a strong enough role in the family dynamic. As Shirley Partridge, she had the honor of portraying TV’s first-ever working mother. Imagine that!

Get Real

We know that *The Partridge Family* excelled at portraying real-life situations in sometimes larger-than-life ways. But did you know that the original premise of the show is actually based in reality? That’s right! The iconic family is based on a real-life family band, named the Cowsills. The Cowsills were a musical family band, made up of a mother and seven children. In fact, the producers of *The Partridge Family* wanted to make the show about them, and have them star in it as well! So what happened?

Mommy Dearest

We can’t believe that the fictional sitcom *The Partridge Family* at one point was planned to star the real-life family it was based on. So, what happened to this original plan, and how did they end up replacing them with the fictional Partridge family? The truth was, producers wanted to swap out the Cowsill mother with Shirley Jones, but the rest of the Cowsills refused to let that happen. So the whole family opted out of the project! If they had gone ahead, it would be very different from the show we know and love today.

Cassidy Kid

Of course, there is another iconic star that became famous thanks to the mega-success of *The Partridge Family*. We are talking about none other than David Cassidy, who starred as Jones’s son and the eldest member of the Partridge Family, Keith Partridge. Cassidy came from a pretty thespian heritage, as his parents were actors Jack Cassidy and Evelyn Ward. As a child and teen, he had quite a few small roles before landing his role on the iconic sitcom—one that would change his life, but not entirely for the better.

Screen Sensation

As the leading member of the Partridge Family children, David Cassidy landed a dream role in many ways. Not only could he showcase his acting skills and charm, but he also was cast thanks to his stunning good looks and hunky appeal. In no time at all, David Cassidy had become the teen heartthrob of the 70s and saw himself plunged into instant fame. At first, this was a great and exciting experience for him, but it would eventually lead the young star down a troubled path.

Real Relations

Shirley Jones and David Cassidy were a winning combination on the show, playing the talented and charismatic mother-son pair. But did you know, that they were actually related in real life? That’s right! Jones was actually Cassidy’s stepmother, having married his father Jack Cassidy 14 years previously in 1956. In fact, the stepmother and stepson both turned up to their audition on the same day, not realizing they would see each other there! This bond would see them through the ups and downs of the show but would make the tragic times to come even more personal for everyone.

Desperate Dan

Of course, Jones and Cassidy weren’t the only stars of this multifaceted and much-loved show. Another iconic actor on the sitcom was none other than Danny Bonaduce, who played the red-haired mischievous scamp, Danny Partridge. Danny was known for his madcap antics as well as his skill as the bassist of the Partridge family band. Bonaduce landed his iconic role at the tender age of 11, so grew up totally in the public eye. Unfortunately, this would take a toll on his personal life and sanity in ways that no one could have foreseen.

One Fine Dey

The next huge star from the show was of course Susan Dey, who played the much-loved character of Laurie Partridge. Laurie played the keyboard and piano in the family band, as well as providing skillful backup vocals. Dey gave a stunning performance as the young Laurie, and quickly won the hearts of audiences around the globe with her sunny charisma and natural charm. But the pressures of fame would get to the teen star, and actually would end up almost claiming her life.

Making the Cut

Next up we have Jeremy Gelbwaks, who played the youngest boy and second-youngest child overall of the family, Chris Partridge. This super cute kid seemed like a winning addition to the cast, but in reality, things were not going so smoothly behind the scenes. Because the young Gelbwaks was not happy being an actor and had apparently simply been forced into the role by his parents! It soon became clear that it was not working out with Gelbwaks in the role, and they decided to switch him out for another character.

Switch Up

After it became clear that Gelbwaks not only was not fitting in well with the rest of the cast and crew but also simply was not enjoying life as an actor, the producers switched him out after the first season, replacing him with fellow child actor Brian Forster. Forster came from an illustrious family of creatives, being the son of British actor Peter Forster and step-grandson of Alan Napier. Not only that, but he’s the great-great-great-grandson of the famous author Charles Dickens! Forster quickly settled in and became an integral part of the Partridge Family machine—in more ways than one.

Oh Baby Baby

Next up we have Suzanne Crough, who played Tracy Partridge, the super cute tambourine player and baby of the family. Crough landed this iconic role at the tender age of 9, and was incredibly young to experience such high and stellar levels of fame. As she was so little and sweet, the cast and crew took pains to protect little Crough from the pressures of filming and of fame. But no amount of support and love could protect her from the eventual fate that befell her.

Dave Madden

Outside of the actual family itself, one of the key characters on the show was of course Reuben Kincaid, the Partridge Family’s agent and manager. This was played by Canadian-American actor Dave Madden, who had come from a career in the air force before turning his hand to acting. Madden appeared on *The Ed Sullivan Show* and *Camp Runamuck* before landing his role on the iconic sitcom. This raised his profile in a new way—and changed his life in ways he could never have predicted.

Dog Days

As well as the human characters, there was another truly iconic member of the cast that many people felt that they could never forget. But actually, after the first season, it seems that that’s exactly what happened! Because the first season featured the Partridge family as having a dog, the cute pooch named Simone. But then once the second season began, the dog was never seen or mentioned ever again! We don’t know what happened to the dog, but we hope it was nothing sinister.

Home is Where the Heart Is

Of course, one of the most familiar parts of the show was the iconic and beloved house that was used as the setting for the Partridge family home. But actually, it wasn’t only familiar from this beloved sitcom—because it was used for many others! That’s right! This same set was also used for many other shows, such as *Bewitched*, *I Dream of Jeannie*, *Dennis the Menace*, and *The Donna Reed Show*. And even years later, attention turned to it once again when it was used in the time-bending fantasy *Pleasantville*.

What Could Have Been

Back in those days, it was pretty common for producers to make more than a few different pilots for their show, to increase their chances of it getting picked up by networks. That way, whichever pilot is chosen, they can go in that direction for the rest of the episodes. So one pilot that they made, but was never shown, was an episode where the Partridge family focused heavily on their absent father. Mr. Partridge is described in this one as an alcoholic, and the family goes into more detail about him. This is pretty strange considering the pilot that we all know and love barely mentions him at all!

Chart Toppers

As we know, *The Partridge Family* was more than just a sitcom. It was also a lively and bustling musical, jampacked with winning tunes that the family band performed throughout the episodes. As a result, the cast not only became TV stars but also some of the most iconic pop stars of the 70s. How many records did they sell, you wonder? Well, you might be surprised that they actually out-sold none other than the Beatles! That’s right—their song “I Think I Love You” beat the Beatle’s “Let It Be” to the number one spot in 1970. That just shows how popular they really were!

All for Show

Even though the Partridge Family became famous as an all-singing all-dancing family of talented musical geniuses, the truth was actually very different in reality. Although the songs on the show were indeed released as singles and albums, the instruments that the characters played on the show, weren’t played by the actors themselves. In fact, only David Cassidy actually played his instrument for real—the rest were just pretending. Were you convinced?

Special Guests

One of the key markers of a successful sitcom is when, a few seasons in, increasingly famous and beloved stars start popping up on small roles on the show. And *The Partridge Family* became so incredibly popular that it could boast a super impressive roster of celebrity cameos. Beloved icons of the 70s such as Farrah Fawcett, Johnny Cash, Jodi Foster, Jaclyn Smith, Cheryl Ladd, and Mark Hamill, all made special guest appearances! It just shows how truly A-list this show had really become!

Tragedy Strikes

As we know, David Cassidy was one of the most-loved cast members of the show, so much so that he became something of a teen heartthrob sensation. But unfortunately, these sorts of young fan obsessions can sometimes turn dangerous—and even deadly. And in 1974 in London, a terrible accident occurred when a mob of screaming fans, desperate to catch a glimpse of David Cassidy while in concert, rushed the stage. This led to a huge stampede, injuring over 800 people. 30 people ended up in the hospital, and one girl even died from her injuries—something that would haunt Cassidy for the rest of his life.

Hard Up

We all know that *The Partridge Family* was an instant hit and one of the biggest, most successful shows of the 1970s. And so you might assume that the cast was being paid megabucks for their appearances, bringing home huge paychecks. But the truth was that they were actually being pretty underpaid, especially considering how much money the show was making from ratings. David Cassidy was actually being paid around $600 a week—about 10 times less than the production!

In the Money

As you can imagine, it was a huge blow for Cassidy to realize that he was being so terribly underpaid. Especially considering how hard he worked, and how it was his star power that was making the show successful, particularly among teenage girls. But happily, they soon realized that his contract did not hold up—as he was underage when he signed it! So this meant that he had to sign a new contract, and this time he made sure his wages reflected his star power.

Pitch Perfect

We’ve already found out how David Cassidy was the only member of the cast who actually played his character’s instrument himself. But did you know that something else about his musical talent was altered very much—his voice! That’s right! The voice we hear from Cassidy on the show has actually been altered digitally. In real life, his voice was much lower, which during the 70s, wasn’t as popular a pitch to sing in. Who’d have thought it—his voice was being edited long before the days of autotune.

Finding Her Voice

And that’s not the only interesting fact we found out about the singing voices of the much-loved cast. Did you know that in the beginning, only one person was supposed to sing—just Shirley Jones, with everyone else just doing background vocals. But soon enough, they realized that David Cassidy was such a talented singer, that they had to let him do some of the singing. This is what made Cassidy famous—but it caused a lot of problems between the rest of the cast.

Tone Deaf

In the end, it was just Jones and Cassidy who did most of the singing, with the rest of the cast mostly providing backing vocals and playing their instruments (or, pretending to, as we know now). But the truth was that this caused some friction between the actors, as Shirley Jones regularly complained that the rest of their singing voices simply weren’t as good. Jones was pretty outspoken about her opinion that only herself and her stepson Cassidy were any good at singing. She may have been right, but still, it seems pretty harsh!

Tough Times

As we know, Shirley Jones and David Cassidy were actually related off-screen, as she was married to the teen heartthrob’s father, Jack Cassidy. But unfortunately, Jones' and the younger Cassidy’s success working together did not bring the family closer but rather torn apart. Because Jack Cassidy became increasingly jealous of his wife and son’s fame as it began to eclipse his. Eventually, he descended into alcoholism and depression, and by 1974, the marriage had fallen apart completely.

Parental Strife

It must have been incredibly difficult for the young David Cassidy, to see his step-parents’ marriage dissolve in front of his very eyes. Not only that, but his father became increasingly jealous of his success, and turned heavily to alcohol—a sickness that would end up plaguing David too, years later. And his relationship with his mother, Evelyn Ward, also suffered, because she felt that she had been replaced—both in Cassidy’s heart and in the hearts of the public—as his real mother by Jones. What a difficult situation!

The Pressures of Fame

It’s always interesting to see how fame and fortune can have a really damaging and painful effect on people’s lives. We always assume that becoming rich and famous will solve all of our problems, but in reality, it’s often the opposite! Jones herself admitted that not only did the pressures of fame destroy her marriage but that her life in general became very difficult. She revealed that fans often struggled to separate her from her character, making it impossible for her to go about her regular life without being harassed.

Struggling to Cope

And Shirley Jones wasn’t the only member of the cast who was finding the pressures of fame incredibly difficult. David Cassidy was also struggling to cope with the sudden and extreme nature of his fame, being thrust into the spotlight so quickly and at such a young age. As well as the tragedy of the fan stampede, Cassidy was also plagued by the media constantly invading his privacy—not to mention being stalked and harassed by fans, his house even being broken into several times by obsessive teens.

Trouble at Home

Sadly, Jones and Cassidy weren’t the only beloved cast members who were secretly struggling with a dark and difficult life behind the scenes. Because Danny Bonaduce, who played Danny Partridge, might have been the funny and lovable scamp on-screen, but in real life, he was having a really tough time. Bonaduce later revealed that he was the victim of domestic abuse from his family, both physical and emotional. Sometimes his situation at home would get so bad, that he stayed at Shirley Jones’ house or with Dave Madden. And that wasn’t the only problem Bonaduce was facing behind the scenes.

Crossed Lines

The young Danny Bonaduce was an incredibly talented and committed actor, but he had one problem that would sometimes get in the way of saying the right lines. He was blessed with a photographic memory, so he had no problem memorizing every single one of his lines perfectly. He even sometimes corrected the others on their lines. However, he also struggled with dyslexia, meaning that he mixed up which lines to say where. So he’d deliver a line perfectly—but in the wrong order!

Breaking Boundaries

Because of Bonaduce’s rough time at home, his costars were likely to give him a bit of a break when he ended up correcting their lines, or on the other end of the extreme, when he sometimes got his lines wrong. He was definitely a bit of a troublemaker, but everyone knew he had a heart of gold. However, to his friends and costars’ distress, his troubles only increased as he grew older and they saw him head down a dark path.

Shocking Behavior

Even though Bonaduce’s behavior was challenging, his costars really wanted to help him and see the best in him. However, as the years went on, it became even more difficult to be around him and accept his actions. For example, he was arrested several times for offenses such as drugs and assault, but that’s not all. He also hit headlines a few times for making horrible and threatening comments about other celebs, such as suggesting that Jane Fonda and Rosie O’Donnell should be executed for treason. How horrible!

Office Romance

Many people know that working closely together with a tight-knit team can often lead to relationships and friendships being built. After all, no one else can understand the ins and outs of your life like your coworkers! And also considering that they were both teenagers, it perhaps comes as no surprise that there was some romantic tension between on-screen siblings Susan Dey and David Cassidy. Apparently, Dey had a huge crush on Cassidy, lusting after him throughout the seasons. Cassidy later revealed the truth of their dalliance … but his revelation would cause some pretty big rifts within the cast…

Body Talk

As you can imagine, growing up in the public eye puts a huge amount of pressure on a person, causing them to be incredibly self-critical over their own abilities or appearance. And the pressure can be even more for young women, who are expected to stay impossibly slim and perfect. So it is sad but not altogether surprising to hear that Susan Dey began suffering from body image issues, eventually slipping into the grips of the terrible eating disorder Anorexia. And it would in fact be one of the other costars that saved her from this deadly disease.

Wake-Up Call

We all know by now that Danny Bonaduce had a pretty wild and unpleasant side, with his arrests and violent outbursts, but the truth is that he still had some redeeming features, such as caring deeply for his costars. And it may surprise you to learn that Bonaduce actually saved his beloved costar Susan Dey’s life! How, you ask? Well, Bonaduce is the one who finally noticed how thin and skeletal she had become, when he saw her in a bathing suit. It was he who helped her realize that she had a serious problem and urged her to seek the help that would eventually save her life.

Teen Trauma

Though it’s sad to hear of the personal struggles that both Bonaduce and Dey went through, unfortunately, they weren’t the only stars of the show whose mental health suffered as a result of appearing on the show. As we know, David Cassidy had a terrible tragedy occur at one of his live concerts, and the truth was, he was never the same again after that. Not only did he quit the TV show, but he quickly spiraled into a drug and alcohol addiction. This was incredibly distressing for all of his costars—but one, in particular, would not give up on him.

A Helping Hand

As we know, Shirley Jones and David Cassidy were pretty close, not just because they played mother and son on-screen, but because they were stepmother and stepson in real life. And so as Cassidy continued to struggle with his personal demons, battling alcoholism, depression, and eventually sinking further and further into terrible debts, Jones tried her best to maintain contact with him and help him get through this difficult time. But unfortunately, not all of his costars remained as fond of him…

Mortifying Memoir

As we know, Cassidy and Dey enjoyed somewhat of a flirtation during the time they spent together on the show. But we didn’t actually know the truth of what happened between them until Cassidy released his memoirs in 2017, *C’Mon Get Happy … Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus*. He revealed that she admitted she was deeply in love with him—and his response was pretty harsh. “I thought she was really attractive,” he wrote. “But sexually—I never had that hunger for her.” Unfortunately, Dey was utterly humiliated by this revelation—and the two never spoke again.

Team Player

As you can imagine, Dey was completely devastated and insulted by Cassidy’s revelations in his autobiography. Not only had she had to suffer the anguish of opening her heart to him and being rejected, but now he had announced the private, humiliating details of it to the world. And so in response, she never wanted to see him or speak to him again—which made it incredibly difficult for the rest of the gang. "I was also hurt that out of everyone on the show, only Susan consistently refuses to take part in any TV reunions of The Partridge Family,” Jones wrote in her autobiography *Shirley Jones: A Memoir*.

Have You Met Miss Jones

Even though Jones was hurt and saddened by the way her on-screen children’s relationships had deteriorated in real life, she still had a lot to celebrate both personally and professionally. She remained in her iconic role as Shirley Partridge right until it came to an end in 1974. Even though it had made her a huge star, she found she suffered the same problem of many actors known for one iconic role—that no one could ever see her as anything other than Shirley Partridge. Eventually, however, she managed to carve out a pretty successful post-Partridge career, which included an Emmy-nominated turn on the TV movie *Hidden Places*.

Danny Boy

As we know, one of the most colorful yet troubled stars of the show was Danny Bonaduce. Not only did he have to deal with the pressures of fame at a young age like the others, but he already came from an incredibly turbulent home in the first place. Although he mostly went on to become known for his arrests and terrible comments, he did have a bit of success as a radio star with his show *The Danny Bonaduce Show*, as well as quite inexplicably becoming a celebrity professional wrestler.

Today’s the Dey

After *The Partridge Family* went off the air, one star who didn’t want anything more to do with the sitcom was of course Susan Dey. Not only had she suffered from a terrible eating disorder thanks to the strain of the Hollywood spotlight, but she had also had her heartbroken—and then publicly trashed—by David Cassidy. Though her snubbing of the show hurt her former costars, it actually proved quite good for her own career—landing roles such as the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated role of Grace Van Owen on *LA Law*.

Slice of Normality

It’s quite chilling to realize that even though the stars of *The Partridge Family* had all landed the role of their dreams at such a young age, the pressures of fame and their grueling filming schedules eventually left them all quite traumatized and troubled. So we bet that the one-time star of the show, Jeremy Gelbwaks, looked back on his sharp exit from the show with some relief. After all, he had never wanted this starry spot—just a normal life. And so after he departed the first season, he simply went off to college and became a regular person. Perhaps he was the biggest winner of them all.

Racing Away

Brian Forster is another former *The Partridge Family* star whose celebrity status somewhat dwindled after his time on the show. But it didn’t seem a sad thing to him—rather, that he was just pursuing opportunities and interests in other areas. For example, he started doing some community theater, as well as moving to Northern California and becoming a professional race car driver. Talk about branching out into different careers! We guess when you have already achieved stardom before puberty, you can afford to experiment!

Far From the Maddening Crowd

One of the most loved characters on the show was of course the Partridge family’s manager Reuben Kincaid, played by David Madden. Even though he wasn’t strictly one of the main characters, his performance and charisma gained him loads of fans both among viewers and within his costars. And after the show wrapped up, he had several small TV roles as well as pursuing his true passion—photography. And in 2014, he passed away at the ripe old age of 82.

By the Book

We know that many of the young stars of *The Partridge Family* struggled with their lives in the public eye, and so it’s no surprise that some of the actors decided to head for a quiet life out of the spotlight once the show came to an end. Suzanne Crough, who played the youngest child Tracy Partridge, left the industry and went to college before opening up a bookstore. She married and had two children, but sadly she passed away very suddenly—while sitting at her kitchen table!—at the age of 52, from heart failure.

A Tragic Loss

And of course, one of the biggest stars of the show was none other than David Cassidy. Unfortunately, he was also one of the most troubled, and his friends and family could only watch in horror and sadness as he descended into alcohol and drug addictions. Even though he remained pretty famous, still touring and making music, his continued substance abuse took its toll on his relationships—and also his body. In 2017, he sadly passed away at the age of 67 from liver failure.

Looking to the Future

It’s so sad to think that, behind the scenes of everyone’s favorite wholesome family show, so many of the cast members were going through such tough times, and many coming to truly tragic ends. It just goes to show that fame and fortune is not always the true dream existence that many of us believe them to be. However, despite the hardships, many of the cast and crew members look back fondly on their time on the sitcom, and its enduring legacy still lives on in the hearts of millions of fans.