David Cassidy, “Partridge Family” star and 70’s pop idol, dead at 67

Debra L Rothenberg/Getty ImagesOne-time Partridge Family star and 1970s pop idol David Cassidy has died as a result of complications from dementia, four days after he was hospitalized in Florida in critical condition with kidney and liver failure, his publicist confirms to ABC News.  He was 67.

“David died surrounded by those he loved, with joy in his heart and free from the pain that had gripped him for so long. Thank you for the abundance and support you have shown him these many years,” a rep said in a statement.

The actor’s rep confirmed Cassidy’s hospitalization to ABC News November 18, adding that Cassidy had been in an induced coma but that he was “currently conscious and surrounded by family.”

Earlier this year, Cassidy announced that he planned to retire from touring, and later revealed to People magazine that he had dementia.  Cassidy, whose grandfather and mother, the late actress Evelyn Ward, also were stricken with the neurological disease, told People of his diagnosis, “I was in denial, but a part of me always knew this was coming.”

Cassidy was one of the biggest pop stars in the world in the 1970s, selling out arenas around the globe, his success driven by his role as singing teen Keith Partridge on the hit TV series The Partridge Family. Cassidy had a rocky time in recent years — he was arrested for driving under the influence in 2010, 2013 and 2014, ultimately spending time in rehab.  He filed for bankruptcy in 2015, and was charged in a hit-and-run accident that same year.

Earlier this year, Cassidy made news when fan-recorded video surfaced of him slurring his words and struggling to remember lyrics during a concert in Agoura Hills, California, an apparent sign of his dementia.

Cassidy was married and divorced three times, the first time to actress Kay Lenz.  He’s survived by his brother — singer, actor and producer Shaun Cassidy; a half-brother, actor Patrick Cassidy; and three children, including Arrow star Katie Cassidy.

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