Danny Bonaduce remembered every word of his lines. Unfortunately, he could not get them out in the correct order. Struggling with a persistent Dyslexia, Bonaduce was besieged with a tendency to say his lines incorrectly.
On the other hand, he possessed a photographic memory, so he recognized immediately if another cast member misspoke the script. His predilection to point these mistakes out was a constant irritation to the rest of the cast.
Shirley Jones Was Scripted to be the Partridge Family Lead Singer
Shirley Jones was chosen to play the widowed mom of five musical kids as well as the lead singer of the family group. But the way it turned out, David Cassidy did so well at auditions he was set up as a singer in the band. Shirley and David were the only musicians officially in the Partridge Family group.
The other children lip-synched and pretended to play instruments. None of the other players made the cut to play on Partridge Family albums. But Cassidy and his guitar featured prominently on the TV program and on albums.
The Irreplaceable David Cassidy
By the end of season four, Cassidy had had enough and was packing his bags. Network execs scrambled to find a replacement. But even the very pretty face of Rick Springfield, the future superstar rock star with the pop hit “Jessie’s Girl,” could not appease audiences.
Who knows how many more seasons we would’ve had if Cassidy stayed with the cast!
Altering David Cassidy’s Voice
While most of the cast lip-synched songs during The Partridge Family broadcasts, Shirley and David’s voices were recorded live. The only caveat is that during the weekly filming of the show, the recording of David’s voice was altered.
Audiences preferred a higher pitch than he could deliver, so they altered the recording to meet listener preferences.
Shirley Jones Deals with Fame
The mega popularity of the Partridge Family meant fame, fandoms, a prying press and a lot of stress for the stars. Shirley was no different, even though she seemed a perfectly poised mom. Fans even confused her for the five young actors’ real mom. On top of the confusion was the fact that she really was a stepmom to the show’s superstar.
Fans believed she was his real mom and this, in turn, saddened David Cassidy’s real mom, Evelyn Ward. There was a schism. A fictional TV family was producing music as an actual band, so the line was blurred. In reality, Shirley suffered a lot of emotional ups and downs because of the harsh spotlight.