US actor and singer David Cassidy, who found fame in The Partridge Family before going on to become a 1970s teen pop idol, has died aged 67.
“David died surrounded by those he loved, with joy in his heart and free from the pain that had gripped him for so long,” a family statement said.
He was admitted to hospital last week after suffering multiple organ failure.
Earlier this year the singer said he had dementia and would stop touring in order to “enjoy life”.
Cassidy was born in New York to a family familiar with the entertainment industry. His father was a singer and actor and his mother was an actress.
He became a star playing Keith Partridge in The Partridge Family – a 1970s sitcom about a mother and five children who formed a rock and roll band.
The show spawned several hit songs, such as I Think I Love You.
Following the sitcom he enjoyed a hugely successful career in music and acting. He received multiple Grammy nominations and sold more than 30 million records worldwide.
At the peak of his fame in the 1970s, his fan club had a bigger membership than that of The Beatles and Elvis Presley.
Hundreds were injured in a stampede at one of his shows in 1974, with a girl dying a few days later.
In recent years he has spoken about his struggles with alcohol.
In 2015 he filed for bankruptcy. Between 2010 and 2014, he was arrested three times for drink driving, and was ordered to rehab as part of his sentence in 2014.
He has divorced three times and has two children.
Tributes to Cassidy have been widely shared on social media. His nephew, Jack Cassidy, said the star brought joy “to countless millions of people”.
The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson remembered writing a song with Cassidy, who he described as “very talented”.
And the American singer and actor Harry Connick Jr said Cassidy was a friend who “was always so kind to me”.
Source: BBC
