David Cassidy (b. 12 April 1950, New York City, New York, USA), and his real life step-mother actress Shirley Jones (b. 31 March 1934, Smithton, Pennsylvania, USA), were the only members of the fictitious television family group to be heard on their records. Jones, who had starred in hit film musicals like Oklahoma!, Carousel and The Music Man married David’s father actor Jack Cassidy in 1956. The Partridge Family, a humorous series about a family pop group (based loosely on the Cowsills) started on US television on 25 September 1970. It was an instant hit and sent their debut single ‘I Think I Love You’ to the top of the chart. In less than two years the fake family, whose records were produced by Wes Farrell, had put another six singles and albums into the US Top 40, including the Top 10 successes, ‘Doesn’t Somebody Want To Be Wanted’ and ‘I’ll Meet You Halfway’. When their US popularity began to wane the series took off in the UK, giving them five UK Top 20 hits, most of which were less successful Stateside. The show made Cassidy a transatlantic teen idol and he also had a run of solo hits. By the time the television series ended in 1974 the hits for both acts had dried up.
