Love Is All That I Ever Needed. Chapter 28. Another Divorce, Another Crisis, And A New Hope

 

David personally did everything possible to promote his music, but he had no support from the record label, Arista Records. What was worse, Arista was acquired by BMG which fired the whole staff. The album peaked at number 20 and dropped off the charts.

Also his marriage was more than on the rocks. After they came to London in January 1985, Meryl accompanied David on social events and they spent his 35th birthday together in Paris. In May he said in an interview that it was his wife who convinced him to record music again: ‘One night we were dancing cheek to cheek and I was singing very softly to her ear. She told me that I had such a wonderful voice that it was such a shame to waste it.’ 

He also said that he didn’t want to have his own kids, because 'he felt like a kid himself.’

At the beginning of July 1985 they returned together to the USA and attended Santa Barbara’s first-ever yearling thoroughbred auction. When David again was in the UK to play concerts in September, he was without his wife.. 

After the 1985 euphoria, 1986 was especially difficult for David. His great comeback was very short-lived, and he didn’t have new propositions. An English journalist couldn’t hide his satisfaction when David didn’t become David Essex’ replacement in the musical ‘Mutiny!’ at the Piccadilly Theatre. In a note about it, David was called ‘sexy heartthrob’ and ‘it’s better the Bounty goes down with all hands than this Californian wimp from the Partridge family taking on the costume of one of the greatest legends of the British Navy.’

After 18 months the marriage was over. The only thing they had in common were horses. We know only David's side of the story, but it seems that Meryl, whose first husband did what she wanted, expected the same from David. She was surprised that his career was so important to him. David didn’t like confrontation and always had problems with saying ‘no’. However, he was temperamental when under stress and didn’t like to be pushed and told what to do. 

That marriage was a very costly mistake for him. When he left, he had nothing or even worse. The divorce wiped him out. He was really broke, in debt, without a job, agent, or even a car. He had nowhere to live. He was depressed and didn’t know what to do. 

Since 1974 he has tried to achieve success in his own name, as David Cassidy, an actor, singer, songwriter, producer. But each time when he thought that he was close, he was losing everything and had to start all over again. 

In 1986 came a time of real doubt and despair. He wasn’t twenty-something. Not everything was possible to achieve anymore. He felt old and a complete failure. He was smoking too much. He was drinking too much. It became dangerous - the way he was drinking to unconsciousness. He completely lost everything and had no perspective. 

But he had a friend, the one he could always count on. Met before he became famous. Sam Hyman. Sam also had many troubles and worked for $5 an hour at a paint store. For a while they lived together. Later, David moved into a guest room of Sam’s sister's two bedroom apartment. She was rarely there, mostly living at her boyfriend's place. David paid for it $350  a month. 

Just 12 years before he was a millionaire. In 1986 he was nearly a million dollars in debt. It was a scary time, and Sam was worried about David. 

Two women saved him. The first one was Melanie Green, a former fan. They met at the party in Los Angeles. David was drunk that night, and told her that he was a mess. She said she saw him in concert, thought he was a good actor, and wanted to represent him. For David that moment marked the beginning of his professional recovery. 

The second woman was also from the past. She gave him what he needed most in 1986, unconditional love and support, believing that everything would be all right. 

Sue Shifrin was born in April 1949. They met for the first time in London in 1973. A very talented songwriter, her songs were recorded by Tina Turner, Cher, Meat Loaf, Michael Jackson, The Pointer Sisters and Heart to name a few. In 1973 they had a brief affair, but David was very busy, at the peak of his fame in the UK, and Sue married someone else. Yet, she never forgot David Cassidy. 

She divorced her husband in the 80s and tried to meet David again. They did meet. In September 1986.

In Sue Shifrin, David found at last a real partner. Both in his private and professional life. They had mutual friends in London. She knew everybody there, and she understood the music business, knew the ups and downs of the profession. But first of all she was interested in David as a man. She was in love and wanted to help him. She persuaded David to start analysis. It was a long, painful and difficult process. He also started going to the gym. Taking care of himself. Drinking less. Smoking less. He ran 3 to 5 miles a day. It was all small steps, but progress everyday. 

At the time nearly no one knew that David Cassidy, always so very careful, became a father. His daughter, Katherine Evelyn Anita was born in November 1986. Her mother, Sherry Williams, met David in the early 70s. They saw each other from time to time without any obligation. In July 1988 he was sued by Sherry. In the paternity suit she has written that ‘David Cassidy fathered her 18-month old daughter and refuses to pay child support’. Sherry sought to establish paternity and asked for $5000 a month in child support and medical care. 

In the 50s Evelyn Ward sued his ex-husband, Jack Cassidy when he didn’t want to support his son, David...

At the beginning of 1987, David got another chance, a new job, in a musical, this time in London. He was going to play himself - a rock star. 

‘Time’ was written by Dave Clark, from the band Dave Clark Five. It was a story about a rock singer, Chris Wilder, transported with his band to the High Court of the Universe. They had to defend Earth. There were a lot of songs, special effects, including a huge projected floating head of Sir Laurence Olivier, and a massive steel set with a hydraulic lift. The role of Chris was very demanding vocally and physically. 

The musical premiered at the Dominion Theatre in April 1986, and after a year Cliff Richard had enough. He wanted to go on tour, and David was to replace him. The musical was very successful despite such reviews: ‘It’s like a science fiction Sunday school lesson. London critics had a field day sneering at its greeting card philosophy and 1960s flower-power platitudes. But children, young at heart, tourists with little English and any lover of sheer spectacle will be enraptured.’ And in April 1987 any David Cassidy’s fan. They were coming to see him in London from the farthest corner of the UK.

David and his manager, Melanie Green, turned down the first three offers made to him by producers. The script was awful. In 2001 David was asked by Jonathan Ross what was the lowest point of his life. David answered that it was when he read the ‘Time’ script. He did it only because he was broke. Another reason was the fact that David was to be a replacement just for three months. And what’s more he was the last moment replacement because John Travolta turned down the offer. Dave Clark didn’t hide that he hoped John Travolta would be available later, take over the role and debut with the show on Broadway.

David decided to sell himself dearly. And he was paid very well. He came to London in the beginning of March, and rehearsals started. Very demanding. We can hear how David's voice was hoarse listening to his March 27 radio interview on Capital Radio. He talked a lot about how much hard work was always behind every musical, and how critics could destroy any show. David discussed his love for horses, and what it meant for him that people at race courses didn’t care if he was a superstar. They were only interested in his knowledge about horses.

David also guest starred on many TV programs promoting the musical. A lot of articles appeared - especially after his debut in ‘Time’ on April 13, 1987. The titles spoke for themselves: ’Timeless Cassidy’, ‘David Rocks On’, ‘Time Is On David Side’, ‘Roses As David Make A Comeback’. It was very nice to be called just David, and everybody knew about whom the articles were about.

It was a great opportunity for fans all over the UK and Europe to see him on stage. David said: ’My British fans have been unbelievable and very supportive. I feel very lucky. A lot of artists forget when they make it that it is the fans ultimately who make you or break you. I have been fortunate in my career.’

He also became a regular in tabloids, especially Daily Mail, because nearly every night he was seen at the trendy West End clubs. While working in London, David lived in a small two bedroom apartment in Knightsbridge, near Montpellier Square. It was about three weeks into the rehearsals that one day Sue Shiffrin appeared on his doorstep - unannounced, with a whole bunch of suitcases. 

She came to London because of work, but, first of all, because of David. It’s not that he was running away from Sue. There was a mutual feeling. She was very attractive and had a lot to offer. She was also Aries, like David, and very stubborn. David was always career oriented and after his second divorce wasn’t very eager to start a new, serious relationship, but he surrendered. 

During the seven month run of “Time” they were very happy together. The contract was extended from three to seven months, to October 1987. In June, David was auditioning for ‘Phantom Of The Opera’. It was announced that Michael Crawford would be leaving to open that musical on Broadway in November. But nothing came out of it, and, at the end of 1987, David and Sue returned to Los Angeles. 

David earned a lot of money in London, but he still was in debt. He didn’t have a place he could call home. Sue invited him to her small house in Studio City, in the southeast San Fernando Valley and he moved in. 

The success in London was important, and so was the money but David wanted to have a career in his own country. Already in England they started writing songs together, Sue and him. But it was just the beginning of their cooperation. Meanwhile, he had two roles to play. Or better said one role, because each time he played himself again, a famous rock star. 

 In a TV series, ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents’, in an episode called ‘Career Move’, there was a scene when David’s character, a former star Joey Mitchell, after many years was playing a concert again, enthusiastically received by the audience. He was singing David’s own song, ‘When I’m a Rock’n’Roll Star’. That episode was aired on May 22, 1988. It was filmed in Canada and, while on set, David gave an interview for the Canadian TV Station AM Toronto. He said that it was easy to relate to Joey because like him, he was a former star and an alcoholic, and after 1974 David had his own hell and those experiences helped him to play Joey. He knew everything about the price of fame and self destruction. It seems the work on that episode wasn’t easy for David. He also talked about the upcoming album. That his new music was completely different to anything he had recorded so far. It would be pure rock and roll. 

David had great hopes about a movie ‘Instant Karma’ in which he played the star of the TV show. His character, Reno, was arrogant, drug-addicted and very temperamental. David made a parody of himself from the time when he played Keith Partridge. Unfortunately ‘Instant Karma’, released in 1990, wasn’t a good film. 

The time came for the next great comeback. This time at home.

The pic, screen shot Jonathan Ross The Last Resort, April 1987 (The David Cassidy Official Website)