Love Is All That I Ever Needed. Chapter 35. At The Crossroads
David was nearly 50 but had a schedule more insane than in the 70s. And even more stress,
because of the amount of work, responsibility and personal problems. Tiredness began to
show on him. He also had unwelcome publicity, mostly because of constant problems with
Sinatra’s children and Sammy Davis’ widow.
It was noticed that sometimes on public
appearances, David was irritated and touchy. ‘The David Cassidy Story’ also brought a lot of
unflattering opinions.
But he didn’t slow down. In the summer of 1999, David was working on a new production at
the Rio Hotel.
At first, he thought about a musical loosely based on his own life. However, the
concept of the show changed a few times. David wanted to have as a co-star Paula Abdul, a
popular singer, dancer and choreographer. In the end Sheena Easton was available. Born in
1959 in Scotland, a very popular pop singer in the early 80s, she also had an American
citizenship and stage experience performing on the West End, Broadway and in Las Vegas.
There weren’t any previews. Just ‘a soft premiere’ of the new show called ‘At The Copa’, on
January 18, 2000. In the show, except for David and Sheena, were six dancers and a swinging
Lon Bronson band. The plot wasn’t very original, more a pretext for David and Sheena to sing
some classic songs and their own hits.
It was a story about a singer, Johnny Flamingo and a
dancer, Ruby Bombay who performed together in a nightclub. David sang Sammy Davis’ ‘That
Old Black Magic’ and Bobby Darin’s hits, ‘Lazy River’ and ‘Mac the Knife’. He was in his
element - full of energy, seductive and charismatic, a great Las Vegas star.
One journalist wrote about him: "Having seen Cassidy here in EFX, as producer and performer
in ‘Rat Pack Back’ and now co-starring in his own tailor-made vehicle, we are not sure we’re
ever seen the real David Cassidy. Is his on stage persona just a collection of well-chosen
derivatives?’.
The show evolved all the time. David sang more Partridge Family’s songs, and a lot of fans
came to see him. Fans also appeared at the 3rd Annual David Cassidy Golf Tournament to
raise money for the Sue’s Kids Charities. Among the many celebrities who took part in that
event were: Joe Pesci, Martin Sheen, Keith Carradine, Alan Thicke, Patrick Cassidy and some
known professional golfers.
At the Rio All-Suite Casino Resort a special event, ‘Totally Groovy 70s Polyester Ball’ was
organized. There were about 400 participants with Shirley Jones as a special guest, and during
the ball the online auction was carried, and : “everything Cassidy was hot. 94 people fought
for two tickets to ‘At The Copa’, and two nights at Cassidy’s personal suite at the Rio, a
backstage photo and a ‘meet and greet’ with him. Cassidy fans managed to outbid one another
all the way from $500 to $6260 (..) 38 people bid for the autographed copy of ‘Tiger Beat’, it
ended up selling for $200."
David had 77 employees at ‘At The Copa’. He performed, directed, produced and worked
seven days a week. Non-stop. He was 50, still in great shape, handsome, charming and sexy, he still made women scream and they still were willing to do anything for him.
But David
wasn’t in his 20s anymore. He had a family, a wife and a son, and they never liked living in
Las Vegas. He was wealthy again and the time came to decide what to do next. He was at the
crossroads regarding his professional and private life.
In August 2000 David tried for the role in a popular musical, ‘Annie Get Your Gun’, in New
York, but he didn’t get it. He decided to slow down and get his family back. He found another
solution.
Sheena Easton’s contract expired in mid January of 2001, and on December 1, 2000 David
announced that he also wouldn’t do the show. He thanked everybody who worked with him on
‘At The Copa’, but not his co-star.
To fulfill the contract he would work for Harrah’s (the Rio’s owner) as a concert performer.
David was to give 30 gigs in nearly all 21 Harrah’s properties in the USA. He said: ‘People still
want to see me, thank God. I miss that kind of connection with the audience.’
His three concerts in 2000 were sold out before they were announced. Fans came from all over
the USA and from Europe, to Atlantic City and Laughlin. Each time his wife and son were in
the audience, and in Laughlin also Suzanne Crough who lived there.
David had with him on stage
the Lon Bronson Band and back-up vocal singers. During the show he performed songs from
‘At The Copa’ and in the second part he played his own hits, and that was what fans were
waiting for.
“David lights up the stage (..) was obviously having such a good time standing on stage,
jamming, playing (..) his enthusiasm..(..) he just soaked up the adulation (..) there was
excellent two-way communication. There was no doubt he enjoyed himself on stage, like all
his fans who were there”.
The 2001 concerts were even better. David played forty in the USA and five in the UK. It was
an enormous difference for him because instead seven or eight shows a week, he performed
the same number but in a month. On the other hand it involved traveling with quite an
impressive number of people. He was backed at those concerts by musicians who worked
with him in Las Vegas, the Lon Bronson’s men from his swinging band, and Lon himself also
played the keyboard, sang and was a musical director of David’s shows. There was a five-piece horn section, four piece rhythm section and three singers.
One of them - Candace Davis-Martin, who was also ‘At The Copa, a dancer and singer,
who a few times filled in for Sheena Easton. Some people thought she would have been a
much better Ruby (and a co-star for David) than a Scottish singer. Candace was a very
attractive, long-legged and sexy blonde, and there was a great chemistry on stage between
her and David Cassidy. During the 2001 tour they sang together ‘River Deep Mountain High’,
and it was always a very racy and sensuous performance.
They played in Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, New York, Nevada, North Carolina,
and Wisconsin. Sometimes they got to the hotels after a night long drive, and sometimes David
had food poisoning. Some concerts weren’t available for fans because they were closed
performances for important casino guests.
David was genuinely happy playing for fans again and having time for his family. “I have time
to go on vacation like normal people. I get to go to my son’s baseball games. I’ve actually
gone to see a couple of movies, which is something I literally haven’t done in 10 years. I’ve
been a workaholic, which is a term I’m not comfortable with. I’m much more interested in
being on stage and doing the best I can and also doing the best I can with my personal life.”
His fans were on cloud nine. They came from all over the USA and Canada, and even from
the UK. Everybody noticed that David looked much better than in 2000. He put on weight and
looked healthy and fit, in great shape, and his voice was just fabulous. He was so happy on
stage, singing, playing the guitar, dancing, telling stories, talking with fans, smiling and crying.
His opener, like always, was ‘I Can Feel Your Heartbeat’. He dedicated ‘Cherish’ to his fans.
He told the audience how at first he didn’t like ‘I Am a Clown’ and told Tony Romeo the song
wasn’t cool enough. Tony knew him very well, and David thanked his late friend.
He was very
moved anytime he sang Johnny Ray’s hit from 1952, ‘Cry’. The song was one of the tracks
from David's new album, ‘Then And Now’.
This time David’s music was released by one of the most known record labels - Decca
Records. There were two great covers - ‘Ain’t No Sunshine’ and ‘Cry’. The rest were new
recordings, new versions of his solo and The Partridge Family Hits. The album was produced
by Ted Carfrae, an award-winning English engineer and record producer.
‘Then And Now’ was released in the UK on October 1, 2001. It was a big hit, peaked at number
5, and achieved Platinum Sales Status, which means that more than 300,000 copies were
sold. Next year the album was released in Australia and the USA.
The American nationwide
store, Target, was selling an exclusive edition with the bonus CD. The US version had a
different list of tracks, those popular only in the UK were replaced, and there was also a new
recording of ‘Do You Believe In Magic’, which David performed in a Christmas TV
advertisement for Mervyn’s Department Store.
But in the US the album was on the Billboard
chart just for a week, at number 147.
In August Sue and David and their David Cassidy/KidsCharities, organized for the second time
in a row ‘A Day At The Races’ at Saratoga Springs. At that event $75,000 was raised for Catie
Hoch Foundation. There were 200 guests, silent auctions, great food, races to see and bet
on. David signed autographs, posed for pictures, and chatted with the guests. Saratoga
Springs was a special place for him. In 2000 he and Sue bought 10 acres just outside the city
to build a house there. ‘It’s just one of the prettiest places I’ve seen. I’ve been there at least
one day a year for the past 26 years and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can come
and stay at the place I just love the most.’
In 2001 he was several times in the UK also because of his new album recording. In
September he was enthusiastically received on Top Of The Tops 2, where in fantastic vocal
form sang his classic, ‘Could It Be Forever’.
He again appeared on that program in October,
singing ‘Ain't No Sunshine’.
In November David played five concerts in the UK. Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, and
twice in London. The concerts were sold out and had mixed reviews. However, the fans were
delighted. ‘The atmosphere at the City Hall was electric when Cassidy took the stage. Most fans were women at a certain age who needed no encouragement to step back in time with
the man who used to adorn their bedroom walls. Cassidy didn’t disappoint, and by the end of
the night, underwear and flowers were being hurled on stage at him.’
This is chapter 1 with the links
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