If my aging, feeble memory is serving me as I hope, I was introduced to David Cassidy by way of TV.  The year was 1970 and it was during my family’s first trip to Tennessee to see family since our move to Arizona.  A bunch of family was gathered at my maternal grandparents’ house when my cousins started to excitedly chatter about the Patridge Family about to come on television.

I thought to myself, “What’s this?  My cousins would to quit playing so we can watch some dumb documentary about BIRDS???”

Silly kid.

I quickly discovered what all the fuss was about.  The show was an engaging, fun filled, innocent show about a single mom (the ever gorgeous Shirley Jones) and her singing brood of talented kids.  The eldest of these was David Cassidy and, judging by the sighs, giggles, and muffled squeals, it was apparent that he was the biggest star of the show.

Over the next four years, I had to endure the many girls of my various dreams swoon over the image and voice of Cassidy.  Yeah, as I’ve already admitted previously, I was mildly jealous of the teen heart throbs of the day and all for legitimate reasons.  That said, I quickly outgrew the jealousy, but not the healthy admiration, of Cassidy and his peers.

Many years have passed since those days.  However, Cassidy is still wowing girls of all ages by way of concerts, TV appearances, films and Broadway performances.  It was because of an upcoming concert with fellow teen idol, Davy Jones, whom I had the privilege of talking with David by phone.

Cassidy projects a warm and gracious presence over the phone.  I say this because I knew that he literally walked in to his Florida home from the airport after a long flight from LA.  And, yet, he enthusiastically obliged to the interview.

We first chatted about a friend of his (and acquaintance of mine), legendary record producer and former U.S. manager of Apple Records, Ken Mansfield, whom I interviewed in 2009.  Ken produced an album for David that, due to corporate thick headedness, never made it to American record stores.

Mansfield said of Cassidy wrote in The White Book, “David and I had spent an intense six months together, and I don’t believe I ever enjoyed my chosen vocation more than I did when I was working with him.”

In chatting about his upcoming Dallas appearance, David relayed his last experience in the DFW Metroplex back in 1995.

“I had such an amazing experience there.  I’ve done a couple of concerts there but I also did a Broadway show, Blood Brothers, with my brother, Shaun, in Dallas in ’95, I think it was. The audiences were amazing and my fans have been fantastic.

“Because it’s been so long since I’ve done a concert there, I’m going to do, basically, a whole – I’m going to do a lot of hits - both Partridge Family and myself.  I’ve gone back and dug out the really great songs from the 70’s.  I’ll take people through a musical journey of my life.” 

At this point in our conversation, Cassidy takes a surprising and entertaining turn down memory lane.