A career to cherish
You might think David Cassidy would be a little miffed about finishing second to Britney Spears in VH1's new list of the 100 greatest teen idols. Instead, he's happy to give up the throne.
"Well, I never wanted to be that," Cassidy said about his 1970s teen idol status in a recent phone chat from his summer home in upstate New York.
"Any time you have a list like that it's flattering, but that stuff doesn't mean a whole lot," said the 52-year-old singer, admitting he wasn't aware of the list until this reporter informed him, despite the fact he's been recording several interviews for VH1's upcoming series, "I Love the '70s."
"It's not about how many gold records you have. I don't live with my trophies. But there's nothing wrong with the acknowledgment of being No. 2 on a list like that. It speaks a lot about the impact I had in the '70s."
In case you were wondering, Cassidy -- who started his career on TV's "The Partridge Family" before becoming a solo pop star -- has more than 20 gold records to his credit. And for many children (and some adults) of the '70s, Cassidy will always be No. 1 in their hearts.
He will perform many of his greatest hits, including "I Think I Love You," "Cherish" and "Lyin' to Myself," at 7 and 9 p.m. today at Grand Casino Mille Lacs. Tickets are $25 and $32.
Before launching his current tour in 2001, Cassidy had been out of the music arena for nearly a decade, garnering critical acclaim for Broadway work such as "Blood Brothers" and Las Vegas productions including "The Rat Pack is Back!" and "At the Copa."
If you go
Who: David Cassidy
When: 7 and 9 p.m. today
Where: Grand Casino Mille Lacs
Tickets: $25 and $32
He also has taken the occasional guest role on TV (most recently in an episode of "The Agency" last spring), but he hasn't been all that interested in Hollywood since "The Partridge Family" ended in 1974.
"I'm reluctant to go to L.A. and live in Hollywood and do what's necessary to be an actor," said Cassidy, who makes his permanent home in Florida. "Besides, most of the time people want me to be David Cassidy. And as much as I enjoy being David Cassidy around the house, it's not a charge to go on a sitcom and be David Cassidy, unless I can make fun of myself."
If "Blood Brothers" re-established Cassidy as an actor, then perhaps new tunes like "New York City Life" will reaffirm his status as a musician. Album sales figures aside, Cassidy is currently at the highest point of his career in all the ways that matter. (He said he can't remember his lowest point, presumably referring to his three years of drug abuse in the mid-'70s.)
"My lifestyle right now couldn't be any better," he said. "I love what I do. When you grow older, you tend to appreciate things more. I love playing guitar more than I did when I was 17, although when I was 17 that was my M.O. When you're 17, you're just thinking about girls, finishing school, cars and rock and roll."
Cassidy may have matured, but he hasn't forgotten how to have a good time, as his current tour attests.
"It's been an incredibly high energy show," he said. "I think we've managed to capture the vibe and feel of the '70s ... Except now instead of love beads, (the women in the audience) throw underwear."
He's also had to learn how to market himself as a product, something that was unheard of when his career began.
"Marketing wasn't even a word in 1970, aside from going to the market to buy eggs, butter and bread," Cassidy said. "That evolved in the late '70s. Now it's more about marketing than the music. When I began it was about talent. I had to go out there and perform. You couldn't disguise people who didn't have the talent, just the look. It's sad that music has evolved in that direction."
Cassidy is still a hot ticket a quarter century after his music career peaked, so it begs the question: Will the No. 1 teen idol on VH1's list enjoy the same longevity? Cassidy doesn't offer any predictions for Britney (although he has a feeling Norah Jones and Kelly Clarkson will be around awhile), but he does outline the formula for success.
"Historically, talent is the only thing that survives. You have to have the goods. It's one thing to have a hit, but a lot of it is disposable. Today, artists put out one album and then you never hear of them again. Artists have to evolve and recreate themselves. You'll ascend for a while, but you have to accept the fact that you'll eventually descend, and you have to know how to roll out of that."