May 9, 2001

    LOS ANGELES--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--May 9, 2001-–In a complaint filed this morning in Los Angeles Superior Court, David Cassidy is seeking material damages in excess of $1 million, the amount to be determined at trial, as well as exemplary and punitive damages, against Bell Records, Arista Records and Bertelsmann Music Group.
    Cassidy claims that Arista/BMG, subsequent to merging and acquiring Bell Records, materially breached Cassidy’s recording agreement. In addition, Cassidy is claiming that Arista/BMG has breached their fiduciary duty to him as a recording artist and have improperly misappropriated his name and likeness in exploiting the albums.
    He claims that Bell’s number of "Best Of..." releases exceeds those permitted contractually and asks that the defendants be enjoined and restrained from manufacturing, selling or licensing any "Best Of..." releases without his consent.
    Cassidy is seeking an order from the Court that his recording agreement be terminated and that Arista/BMG no longer have the right to exploit any of David Cassidy’s recordings as a solo artist or as a member of "The Partridge Family." Cassidy is represented by Marty Singer of Lavely & Singer. This is the first lawsuit for Cassidy in his thirty year career. He has had many firsts.
    Cassidy rose to fame as the star of "The Partridge Family" in 1970. His musical career broke every imaginable record. He was the highest paid concert performer of the day, he broke box office records wherever he went, sold over 20 million records, received 18 gold and platinum records, and graced everything from lunch boxes to puka shell jewelry with sales in the billions of dollars, with a fan club membership that exceeded those of the Beatles and Elvis. His recordings continue to be sought by fans throughout the world.
    After very successful runs in Las Vegas starring in "EFX" at the MGM Grand, then in "At the Copa" at the Rio, Cassidy is currently on his first concert tour of the United States in over a decade. Upcoming dates include the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and Westbury Music Fair on Long Island.
 

Das ehemalige Teenager-Idol David Cassidy hat am Mittwoch in Los Angeles die Plattenfirmen Bell Records, Arista Records und BMG verklagt. Er fordert von den Firmen eine Zahlung in Höhe von einer Million Dollar. Die Klage begründet er damit, dass BMG/Arista durch den Kauf der Plattenfirma Bell Records seinen Plattenvertrag gebrochen habe. Außerdem habe BMG/Arista ihm gegenüber die Fürsorgepflicht für einen Vertragskünstler verletzt und seinen Namen und sein Gesicht auf unlautere Art zur Vermarktung seiner Alben benutzt. Cassidy will der Plattenfirma die Veröffentlichung weiterer Best Of... - Alben ohne sein
ausdrückliches Einverständnis untersagen, weil die Zahl der bisher veröffentlichten Best Of- Platten bereits die Zahl der mit Bell Records vertraglich vereinbarten Releases überschreite. Mit der Klage will er erreichen, dass das Gericht seinen Vertrag mit BMG/Arista für null und nichtig erklärt.

Former "Partridge Family" member David cassidy will perform May 23 and 24 in the Rio Vista Outdoor Amphitheater at Harrah's Laughlin.
     Cassidy was the world's highest paid solo live performer by age 21, and his fan club was the most popular in the world, exceeding those of both the Beatles and Elvis Presley.
     In 1999, Cassidy partnered with writer-producer Don Reo to create the show "The Rat Pack is Back," which has been playing to sold-out audiences at the Sahara Hotel & Casino.
     In 2000, Cassidy began co-starring with Sheena Easton in "At the Copa" at the Rio All-Suite Casino Resort. Cassidy also co-created the show with Don Reo. Cassidy closed the show in 2001 to return to concert stages around the world.
     Tickets to Cassidy's show at the Rio Vista are $19.70. For reservations, call (702) 298-8510.

A weeklong '70s flashback will take place May 20-26 at Harrah's Laughlin. Prizes will be given away during a Prize is Right competition. Prizes include up to $1,000 cash, a trip for two to Harrah's New Orleans, dinner at Harrah's, logo items and tickets to David Cassidy's show.
     At 5 p.m. daily in the Fiesta Showroom, three names will be drawn. Winners will be eligible to participate in a Prize is Right competition. Entrants will be shown a variety of everyday items and must guess what would have cost in the '70s. Players will win prizes based on points earned for correct answers.

Rick Springfield should probably heed the words of one of his hits this week: Don't talk to strangers.
     Springfield, who has one of the largest and most devoted fan clubs in the world, reportedly has a stalker.
     The woman in question claims to be a law student at UNLV and has reportedly been hanging around the MGM Grand, hoping to run into the object of her affection. Springfield stars in the MGM's "EFX Alive."
     The fan, labeled as a stalker by sources within the hotel, has followed Springfield to his home in Las Vegas on more than one occasion and has also allegedly turned up at his home in the Los Angeles area. She recently even tailed him when he went to get a haircut in town.
     Springfield is apparently so concerned about the situation that one insider said the star is trying to gather more information on the obsessed fan in case he has to file a restraining order.
     When contacted in Los Angeles, Springfield's manager, Ron Weisner, said he "didn't know anything about it." He then added angrily: "You people are the ones responsible for spreading stuff like this."
     I don't stalk them sir, I just write about them. But at least I'm finally part of "you people." I was starting to worry.
     Weisner said he would look into the story and asked me to please get back to him if I heard anything else.
     I said I'd have to check with my people first.

     In December former teen star David Cassidy announced at a Rio press conference that he was close to signing a new record deal with a major label. He added that he was headed into the studio to record a double album set for release this summer.
     Now it looks like those dreams of a pop comeback are on hold, at least for the near future. Cassidy has filed a breach of contract lawsuit against his record company, Arista/BMG. The singer is asking that his recording agreement with BMG/Arista be terminated.

After I have contacted Kate Maddox, and informed her that David's new record deal has nothing to do with his lawsuit against Arista/BMG, she wrote the following:

If backstage buzz is on the mark, the six-year run of "EFX" is in the final stretch.
     According to sources, a number of cast members have been told the MGM Grand's $45 million production will cease when Rick Springfield's contract expires in January.
     "We don't comment on speculation; no comment," said an MGM executive who asked not to be identified.
     Insiders say Springfield doesn't plan to remain with the show.
     Since opening in March 1995, "EFX" has featured four lead males in six years: "Phantom of the Opera" star Michael Crawford, former teen idol David Cassidy, Broadway icon Tommy Tune and rock star Springfield, who moved into the role
in late January. Springfield signed a one-year deal.

The children of legendary entertainer Frank Sinatra have taken a Las Vegas man to court in an attempt to block his efforts to market secretly recorded audio recordings of their father performing at Caesars Palace.
     Gilbert Cebollero's efforts first gained national attention in March, when the Wall Street Journal detailed his efforts to produce commercial albums of the tapes recorded without the knowledge of Caesars' management by his stepfather for decades.
     Cebollero's stepfather, Dave Rogers, was the sound engineer at Caesars' Circus Maximus showroom for decades. Rogers kept the tapes in storage at home, listening to them on occasion while working in his home's workshop. Cebollero got the tapes after his stepfather's death in 1998.
     Included on the hundreds of hours of recordings are performances by such stars as Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Judy Garland, Johnny Mathis, Bette Midler and Diana Ross. And the tapes capture the stars in some moments never meant for the public -- after belting out "My Kind of Town" one night, Sinatra turned to the band and quietly said, "Sang my (expletive) off that time!"
     But it appears Sinatra's estate doesn't want those tapes reaching the public unless it receives the compensation it's demanding.
     After three years of off-and-on negotiations between Cebollero's business associates and the Sinatras, the Sinatra family took the matter to Las Vegas federal court Friday. Bristol Productions, a company controlled by Sinatra's children, slapped Cebollero with a lawsuit, accusing him of violations of U.S. copyright law for hawking some 200 "bootleg" recordings of Sinatra performances recorded without the entertainer's knowledge.
     "I promised myself and (the Sinatras) that if we can't come to agreement, they (the tapes) would continue to collect dust," Cebollero said. "It's an American tragedy we can't release them."
     But Mort Galane, attorney for the Sinatras, doesn't see it that way.
     "If they're bootleg (recordings), they should not have been on the market," Galane said.
     So far, 15 performers or estates of late performers have agreed to participate, including Sammy Davis Jr., Andy Williams, Peggy Lee and Willie Nelson, Cebollero said. Caesars owner Park Place Entertainment Corp. has also signed off on the venture, and a CD compilation of songs by the 15 artists is set for release in July -- exclusively through Caesars Palace for three months, then through Concord Records, a record label owned by TV producer Norman Lear.
     In March, the Journal said the Sinatras and Neon Tonic -- a company controlled by TV producer Norman Lear -- had managed to reach a tentative deal, despite early threats by Sinatra family attorneys to sue. But those talks apparently fell apart.
     "No such deal has been struck, regardless of what impression was left by the article," Galane said. "My (understanding) is that there has been communication. (The fact that) no deal has been struck necessitated this lawsuit."
     "We were still negotiating, we couldn't come to a middle (ground), so they decided to do this, which is unfortunate," Cebollero said.
     Neon Tonic and Park Place weren't named as defendants in the lawsuit.
     In its lawsuit, Bristol asked for a court order that would permanently bar Cebollero from selling copies of the recordings his father made of Sinatra, and that Cebollero turn over any profits from selling copies of the tapes. Bristol is also demanding that the original tapes and any copies be impounded, saying only Bristol has the rights to recordings of live performances by Sinatra.
     Cebollero insists he hasn't sold any copies of his stepfather's recordings of Sinatra, and says he won't do so without the Sinatra family's blessings. But he vowed not to turn over his father's tapes of Sinatra without a fight.
     "They haven't got a leg to stand on," Cebollero said. "They're my physical property, and we never used them for any monetary value. We never went to anybody but them (the Sinatras)."
     But Galane said it's irrelevant whether Cebollero actually sold recordings of Sinatra. Anti-bootlegging provisions of U.S. copyright law, passed in 1995, ban any attempts to market recordings made without a performer's knowledge, Galane said -- and Cebollero has attempted to sell them to the Sinatras, he said.
     "If someone offers to sell (bootleg recordings), there's a civil liability," Galane said. "You get the feeling (from the Journal article) he was really trying to market them."
     It isn't the first time Galane has headed to Las Vegas federal court to protect the Sinatra trademark.
     In 1999, Galane filed a lawsuit on behalf of Sheffield Enterprises Inc. -- another company controlled by Sinatra family members -- against the Desert Inn hotel-casino over "The Rat Pack is Back," a tribute performance to the Rat Pack produced by entertainer David Cassidy. This lawsuit alleged that the use of such terms as "Frank," "Ol' Blue Eyes," "Chairman of the Board" and "The Rat Pack" violated Sinatra trademarks, since they were terms the public associated with the late entertainer. The lawsuit also took issue with the use of Sinatra's picture and signature in advertising for the show.
     The show ended its run in late 1999 and moved to the Sahara, where it is now playing. The Sahara was not named as a defendant, and the lawsuit against the Desert Inn, closed since last summer, is still pending.

Michael Crawford, a top British Music Hall performer, was the first star of the MGM Grand's "EFX" production, fresh from starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage production of "Phantom of the Opera." Crawford was the oldest, in his 50s, and most physically adept of the four "EFX" stars to date. A back injury caused him to leave the show. David Cassidy followed, giving it a different, more youthful story line. Tommy Tune was next, stressing dance routines and giving "EFX" a Broadway-musical feel. Rick Springfield took over at the start of this year, making the renamed "EFX Alive" more like a contemporary rock musical production.

Harrah's Laughlin presents world-renowned entertainer David Cassidy, in celebration of '70s Week, appearing Wednesday and Thursday, May 23 and 24, in the Rio Vista Outdoor Amphitheater. Cassidy will perform one show per night at 8 p.m. Tickets are $19.70 and available at Harrah's Box Office or by calling (702) 298-8510.

While David Cassidy is at Harrah's Laughlin this week to coincide with a salute to the 1970s, he is not one to dwell on that time. In fact, he only recently began doing interviews on the subject. It's not that he doesn't want to give a nod to the time when he was an arena rock star, it's just that he'd rather focus on what he is doing now.

When you ride a tremendous wave of success on the energy of screeching adolescent girls, it is a fragile trip, indeed. David Cassidy the teenage heart throb reveled in it, while David Cassidy the singer/entertainer walked away from it at its very apex. That says a lot about David Cassidy the man..

These days Cassidy is enjoying a quite comfortable ride flavored with the sweet taste that comes from success of his own making. He has found a new playground in the fertile show biz soil of Las Vegas. From his original appearance on the Strip in 1996 as the star of the MGM Grand's "EFX," to his show "David Cassidy At The Copa" with Sheena Easton at the Rio; and a run with the Las Vegas retro revue "The Rat Pack Is Back," Cassidy has become something of a toast of the town. He has earned numerous awards, new fame and self-respect.

Cassidy was also the toast of the town of Laughlin when he first appeared at Harrah's last November. With his 22-piece orchestra in tow, he wowed the crowd to the point of earning a quick return booking this week.

Cassidy's life finally seems to be going the direction he wants after tumultuous success at an early age. The son of actor Jack Cassidy and actress Evelyn Ward, he became a pop star after appearing with his stepmother, Shirley Jones in the television show The Partridge Family, from 1970-1974.

Almost from the beginning, the Partridge Family began adding up hits in their own right, such as "I Think I Love You," "Doesn't Somebody Want To Be Wanted," and "I'll Meet You Halfway."

In a case of life imitating art, the scenes in the show where his character Keith became the obsession of teenage fans, David Cassidy found himself fleeing the Clearasil crowd. Within a year of the show's launch, Cassidy was a huge teenage idol. Huge as in having a fan club bigger than Elvis' or The Beatles'. Huge in that he was soon to launch a solo career that saw him playing booked out stadiums around the world.

This was heady stuff for anyone to absorb, let alone a 20 year old.

The network discovered how huge Cassidy had become when in the off season of the first year they discovered he wasn't under contract (due to a loophole). When he resigned for the second year, he became the highest paid actor to ever play a sitcom.

The Partridge Family continued on its merry way but its star was becoming increasingly less and less merry. Cassidy wanted to play the music that he really liked. R&B tinged stuff, Bob Dylan style stuff...but he was stuck playing "bubble gum" music.

After the show ran its course, Cassidy took to touring full time. But this too became a disenchanting thing. David Cassidy was burnt out and decided to leave show business when he was on the top. He took two years off and dropped out of sight in Hawaii.

"When I returned to work, I specifically chose not to compete with my earlier fame," he states.

In 1982, he tackled Broadway playing the title role in a long-running revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Two years later, he took over the leading role from Cliff Richard in Dave Clark's stage musical, Time. In 1993, he was cast with step-brother Shaun Cassidy and veteran singer Petula Clark in Bill Kenwright's ailing New York production of Willy Russell's gritty musical, Blood Brothers. This trio's performance stopped the show's otherwise imminent closure, and David Cassidy recreated the role of Mickey in subsequent productions of Blood Brothers in the West End, and on US and UK regional tours.

In 1996 Cassidy's next major assignment was on a somewhat larger scale, taking over the lead from Michael Crawford in the high-tech musical "EFX" at the MGM Grand in Vegas. He's thrilled that the success is, at last, about his work.

"I think it's wonderful," he states. "I'm fortunate that people want to come here to see me ... families, moms and dads, who have grown up with me ... which is phenomenal. Few in my business have enjoyed the longevity and I don't take that lightly. I had never taken for granted the people who have supported me over the years.

"They've seen my work on Broadway, in theater, films, television...my days with The Partridge Family ... they've stayed with me and it's been a great journey, I have to say, both personally and professionally.

"I think ultimately they see the work. They know you're successful and famous, but it's really about the work. If you produce good, quality work, people will come to see it. I've always tried to keep the integrity and put out work I'm proud of ... it's entertainment ... we get them to laugh, we get them up and moving."

The best part of all is being taken seriously as an artist and musician.

"The fame isn't something I sought, and the money isn't the driving force ... it's all about the work," he explains. "When I get acknowledged for my work it feels like the best. It's more than I could ever have asked for."

It has always been about the "work." That is why Cassidy is not to be found dwelling on the Partridge Family...though he acknowledges the flowery printed T-shirts made the current silk suits possible.

Actor, singer, TV star, heartthrob and all-around entertainer David Cassidy will help celebrate the 2001 season opening of the Plaza at Harrahs’ with a free concert on May 26.

Cassidy has had one of the most extraordinary careers in the entertainment business. Hailing from a family of actors, mother Evelyn Ward and father Jack Cassidy, Cassidy was fated to become a performer and a star from an early age.

David Cassidy will perform at 7:30 p.m. on the Plaza at Harrah’s.

Actrice Marian Mudder kennen we als agente Vera Prins in 'Baantjer'. Maar wat niemand weet, is dat ze vroeger helemaal idolaat was van David Cassidy. Ze was zo'n grote fan, dat ze onlangs besloot naar Las Vegas af te reizen, op zoek naar haar jeugdidool. Speciaal voor Beau Monde hield Marian een dagboek bij.

Las Vegas, 30 april 2001
Wat doe ik hier, denk ik als ik om negen uur 's ochtends langs The Golden Nugget, een van de meest gefotografeerde gokpaleizen van Las Vegas loop. En wie heeft in godsnaam bedacht dat het leuk zou zijn om hier naar toe te gaan? Waarom ga ik op zoek naar een bijna-bejaarde popster in de nadagen van zijn carrière? Ik probeer het gevoel op te roepen waaruit dit hele idee is ontstaan. De documentaire die ik een jaar geleden op televisie zag.

Amsterdam, september 1999
David Cassidy, idool van begin jaren zeventig. De knapperd van de 'Partridge Family', een tienertelevisieserie over een musicerende familie. Aan hem had ik 25 jaar niet meer gedacht en opeens zat ik oog in oog met een belangrijk deel van mijn jeugd. In de documentairezag ik mijn eigen gekte weerspiegeld. Het meisjeskamertje behangen met foto's. Ik herkende mijn eigen favoriete posters. Zoals die waarbij hij met indringende blik en wuivende lokken op een paard zit, of die waar hij verdrietig kijkend zijn arm om een grote witte hond slat. Oh, wat lief, hij hield van dieren, net als ik. En zijn haar moest niet te kort zijn! Foto's waarop zijn haar niet good zat vielen meteen in de B-categorie. Hij moest het niet hebben van een gespierd lijf maar van een zwoele oogopslag en wuivende, zorgvuldig geföhnde lokken. In de documentaire zaten ook fragmenten uit de tv-serie. David verliefd, en David ongelukkig kijkend in een konijnenpak. Van de liedjes blijk ik de tekst nog steeds te kennen. Hetzelfde zwijmelgevoel komt terug. Ik speel de tape wel vijf keer en snikkend zit ik op de bank en vraag me vertwijfeld af waarom ik zo zit te snotteren.
     Ik kom tot de conclusie dat ik nooit meer zó onvoorwaardelijk verliefd ben geweest. Vanaf de eerste minuut dat ik hem zag was het raak. Ik herinner me de vriendschap met Marianne, mijn hartsvriendin waarmee ik mijn liefde voor DC deelde. En vooral hoe leuk we het hadden. Binnen vijf minuten na de eerste aflevering van de Partridge Family belde ze me op en zei: "Heb je hem gezien?", en daarmee was ons verbond beklonken. Onze missie begon.

Rotterdam, juni 1973
Speuren naar Engelse en Amerikaanse bladen in de periode dat geen enkel Nederlands blad aandacht aan hem besteedde. Op de Avrobode na dan, die op ons verzoek een foto van hem afdrukt. Het is zomer, er is een hittegolf maar dat weerdoudt ons er niet van om vijf keer per dag naar het centrum te fietsen om te kijken of 'de bladen' er al zijn. Omdat er vaak maar één exemplaar is, moeten we er snel bij zijn. Zoals FAB! waarin hij elke week een column schrijft. Woorden van DC himself! We hadden plakboeken vol foto's die niemand anders had. Wij hadden de enige exemplaren van heel Nederland, dachten we. Ruzie was er nooit. We verdeelden de foto's zonder morren. Het enthousiasme waarmee we onze verliefdheid beleden, het succes als we weer een Melody Maker of een SPEC! te pakken hadden, met levensgrote kleurenposters erin, het was heerlijk. Binnen luttele weken is mijn kamertje van onder tot boven behangen met foto's, de mooiste (lees: zwoelste) me aanstarend als ik in bed lig. Het heeft niets met seks te maken, daar weet ik nog niks van. Fantaseren dat ik hem zoen, kuis, zoals ik dat op tv zie, doe ik wel. En dromen dat hij tegen me zal zeggen 'be mine tonight', een zin onthouden uit liedjes, geen idee wat dat inhoudt.

Amsterdam, september 1999
Ik zit nog steeds te huilen op de bank. Ik realiseer me dat die zomer een van de gelukkigste periodes uit mijn leven was. Onbezorgd, onschuldig genieten, zonder het werkelijk te kunnen waarderen omdat ik nog niets van het leven wist. David is na een jaar uit mijn fantasieën verdwenen om plaats te maken maken voor échte (ongelukkige) liefdes. Marianne emigreerde naar Canada, en het contact verwaterde. Ik herinner me onze dromen om, als we school hadden afgemaakt, naar LA te gaan om hem op te zoeken, in the Burbank Studios. Ik veeg mijn tranen weg en besluit haar te schrijven en stel voor om onze oude droom op te poetsen. We gaan David Cassidy opzoeken! In Las Vegas waar hij nog steeds optreedt! We gaan elkaar na vijftien jaar weer zien.

Las Vegas, dinsdag 3 april 2001, 's ochtends
Ik ben vannacht aangekomen en meteen mijn bed ingedoken. De eerste nacht ben ik hier alleen en logeer ik in het Plaza. Wake-up call om 8 uur. Ik wil vroeg op om rond te gaan kijken. Ik verbaas me over de mensen die hier om 9 uur 's ochtends in donkere, koude hallen zitten te gokken.
     Als ik Marianne van het vliegveld ga ophalen, merk ik dat ik een beetje nerveus ben. Vijftien jaar... Ik heb wel foto's gezien, we hebben de laatste tijd veel gemaild, maar het is nog maar de vraag of we elkaar nok kénnen. Of we niet zoveel verandert zijn dat we elkaar niets meer te melden hebben. Een vriendschap tijdens de pubertijd of een vriendschap tussen een moeder van vijf kinderen met... eh... mij.
     Uit angst om te laat te komen, ben ik een uur te vroeg op het vliegveld. Ik besluit wat rond te wandelen en plots hoor ik een helder "hallo". Ze staat stralend voor me. Mooi als altijd. Ze heeft een vliegtuig eerder genomen en zonder te zoeken hebben we elkaar gevonden.
     Er is niets veranderd, dat voel ik meteen. We zijn meteen weer een team met een missie. We checken in in The Rio, het hotel waar David optreedt. Een vijfsterrenhotel, waar we worden verzorgd als prinsessen. Gigantisch groot, valetparking, zwembad met zandstrand, fantastische kamer met uitzicht op de bergen. Morgen naar de show. Vandaag alle tijd om een plan te bedenken. Een plan om hem te ontmoeten. Dat is het hoogste doel. We zijn na 25 jaar natuurlijk niet naar Las Vegas gekomen om hem niet te ontmoeten. We moeten een list verzinnen.
     Maar eerst bijpraten en Vegas bekijken! Het nieuwe gedeelte vol voorgekookt amusement. Er zit niets anders op dan een kwartslag te maken in ons denken, en de stad met open vizier tegemoet te treden. En dan is het geweldig. Allererst naar het 'junglehotel' The Mirage, beroemd door Siegfried en Roy en hun witte tijgers. Lunchen in Caesar's Palace (Caesar's Salad, what else?) waar Versace en andere grote Italianen te vinden zijn. Alles is over the top. En alles speelt zich binnen af. De hotelairco is ijkskoud. Het glas in de ramen is donker zodat elk besef van tijd verloren gaat en zo ook het besef dat het schitterend weer is buiten! Alles om de toeristen aan de goktafel gekluisterd te houden. Maar daar trappen wij niet in. Gauw naar buiten. We ploffen neer bij het zwembad en genieten van de zon en van elkaar.
     We begraven onze zere voetjes in het warme zand. Genieten van de watervallen bij het zwembad en opeens zien we een deur die we ervan verdenken dat het the backstagedoor is die toegang geeft tot The Copa, het theater van het hotel waar de show zal zijn. Dit biedt misschien een mogelijkheid tot een ontmoeting. Wat als hij daar na de show uitkomt en wij hem daar opwachten?
     We zijn weer twaalf. In onze badpakjes piepen we door een hek en meteen komt er een security man aangelopen. Als betrapte bakvissen giechelen we terug. Dat moeten we anders aanpakken.
     Het visrestaurant van het hotel biedt uitzicht op het zwembad en the backstagedoor, dus eten we dáár. Marianne ziet het als erste. Hij staat open! We lopen er weer voorzichtig naar toe. Dit keer géén security man. We kijken voorzichtig door de kier van de deur en kijken zo het toneel op! Wat doen we? Gaan we naar binnen? Af en toe vangen we een glimp van des how op. "Nog even en hij komt voorbij," zegt Marianne. En dan, denk ik paniekerig, wat doen we dan, voor hem springen en we love you roepen? We horen de laatste tonen van het slotnummer en we staan als overjarige groupies bij de open deur te gluren. Op het laatste moment wordt de deur dicht gedaan. Gelukkig, denk ik stiekem.

Las Vegas, donderdag 5 april 2001
Shoppen in The Fashion Show Mall, waar tot ons groot plezier een heuse Macy's en een Saks te vinden zijn. En het nieuwe Venetian bekeken. Binnen in het hotel is Venetie nagebouwd en kun je in een gondel stappen en een tochtje maken op het 'kanaal' wat door het hotel loopt. We zien de rij en maken rechtsomkeert.
     Vanavond gaan we naar de show. Ik bereid me voor op de afknapper van de eeuw. Hoe kunnen we hem benaderen? We bedenken allerlei strategieën. Vragen aan de boxoffice, "nee, hij gaat na de voorstelling meteen weg". Een 'usher', een placeur, vertelt ons dat we het via zijn manager zouden kunnen proberen. Marianne voert alle gesprekken. Ik sta er weer net als vroeger verlegen bij. Eerlijk gezegd geneer ik me dood om als volwassen vrouw te bedelen om mijn vroegere jeugdidool. Laf hou ik me op de achtergrond. Marianne heeft gelukkig van al die gêne geen last, en bedenkt uiteindelijk dat we hem een briefje moeten schrijven en dat aan die usher moeten geven.
     "We've been fans for 28 years, please give us 28 seconds of your time for an autograph and a snapshot." Nou, dat moet lukken... Eerlijk gezegd interesseert een handtekening en een foto me geen bal. Ik wil met hem práten, weten wat voor iemand het nou eigenlijk écht is. Ben ik verliefd geweest op een ijdele engerd, of op een leuke man?
     We gaan naar de kamer en doffen ons zwijgend op. We gaan naar het theater en kijken om ons heen. Het publiek bestaat voornamelijk uit bejaarden en dikkerds.
     Marianne geeft het briefje af en, zo wordt beloofd, dat wordt afgegeven. Ik mag niet meer naar de wc van haar, want we zouden wel eens de kleedkamer ingeroepen kunnen worden. Die kans lijkt me toch vrij klein dus ik trek me nog even terug om meteen een laatste blik in de spiegel te werpen en zowaar ik ben tevreden.
     Ik zie er prachtig uit. Als ik hem niet kan ontmoeten dan zal hij me in ieder geval zíen. Onze platsen zijn perfect! The best seats in the house! Het is ongelofelijk. Voor hetzelfde geld hadden we ergens achteraan gezeten en hadden we de show met onze neus tegen het glas beleefd. We zitten middenvoor het podium en rechts van ons zien we een trappetje. Hmm. Het is een lounge-act, in de zaal staan tafeltjes en stoeltjes, en waarschijnlijk, zo horen we, maakt hij een ronde door de zaal. Oh. (Ik hou het gangpad nauwlettend in de gaten, dat niet iemand te breeduit gaat zitten, zodat David er niet door kan.)
     De show begint. Goeie band, geweldige dansers, simpel nachtclubverhaaltje, een musical in het klein.
     Waar blijft ie nou? Marianne wijst me op het oude mannetje op het balkonnetje. Dat is-ie, zegt ze. Hij ziet ons meteen! Nou zal dat ook niet moeilijk geweest zijn, ik in shocking pink en Marianne in haar gouden jurk, samen zijn we onbetwist de mooisten van de avond. Zo niet van de maand!
     Als 'verteller' is hij oud gemaakt, wat meteen zijn image van mooie jongen overboord doet gaan. Dus dat ijdele valt wel mee. De tekst zit vol zelfspot. Dan komt hij eindelijk als zichzelf op, en gelúkkig speelt hij een rol. Op de videoboards in de stad had ik al stukjes van de show gezien, en dat zag er zo nep en gelikt uit. Mijn grootste angst was dat hij vreselijk zou blijken te zijn. Een nare ijdele man, die zijn haarlijn moet bijtekenen en een gelikte show afdraait.
     Maar ik kan niet anders zeggen dan dat de stukken er vanaf vlogen. Hij ziet er nog geweldig uit. Het is een klein manneke, dat wisten we al, maar met een enorme dosis energie, die het toneel afspat. Speelt meer oude nummers dan ik had verwacht. 'Cherish, I woke up in love this morning'. Hij swingt, hij is grappig en voelt zich duidelijk als een vis in het water op het toneel. Hij zingt, danst en acteert en staat met zichtbaar veel plezier te spelen, én met de nodige ironie, wat ook een verademing is. Krijgt de slappe lach als twee vrouwen tegen hem en tegen elkaar beginnen schreeuwen (ja, dit is Vegas...). Hij maakt er professioneel een heerlijk rommeltje van. Een vrouw achterin roept "I think I love you", wat hij vervolgens begint te zingen. Plots loopt hij naar de zijkant van het podium en komt het trappetje af! Mijn nuchterheid van de laatste dagen verdwijnt als sneeuw voor de zon. Kom hierheen, kom hierheen, bid ik zachtjes.
     En dat doet hij!! Ik ben perplex. Hij pakt mijn hand en kijkt me héél diep in mijn ogen. Hij verovert meteen en opnieuw mijn hart. Geen idee hoe ik gekeken moet hebben. Ik hoop enigszins charmant en niet met een scheve grijns. Er stond een felle spot op zijn gezicht maar ik zag zijn ogen: helder en blij, ook niet onbelangrijk op een moment als dit!
     Voor mijn gevoel duurde het lang. En hij vond me leuk! Dat dacht ik althans. Hij is ongetwijfeld zo'n groot charmeur dat hij elke vrouw het gevoel kan geven dat ze speciaal en bijzonder is. Zo verliefd als ik destijds was, hádden ze me toen verteld, 'Marian ooit houdt hij je hand vast en kijkt je diep in je ogen...' ik was waarschijnlijk glauwgevallen.
    Ondertussen is hij werder gegaan, en ik heb nog slechts één werkende hersencel over en die doet foto, foto, en foto's maken mág niet. Tot mijn verbazing en bewondering vliegt Marianne hem om de hals. Hij kijkt verbaasd, op zoveel enthousiasme had hij niet gerekend. Ik kan niet anders dan bekennen: de rest van de show heb ik in opperste gelukzaligheid uitgezeten. Hij besluit met Las Vegas, my kinda town, op de melodie van Chicago, en verdwijnt achter de coulissen. Dat was het dan. We kijken elkaar beduusd aan. We vragen aan de usher of de brief is ontvangen. Ja, die is afgegeven. Zijn manager komt erbij, nee, er is geen tijd voor een ontmoeting, hij moet snel weg, maar ze heeft een foto met handtekening voor ons. Daar moeten we het mee doen.

Las Vegas, 6 april 2001
De volgende morgen om 4 uur in de ochtend pakken we onze koffers. De foto als trofee bovenhop. We omhelzen elkaar en verbazen ons nog maar eens een keer over hoe leuk het was. Hoe we nog steeds dezelfde grapjes op hetzelfde moment maken. En hoe we samen twaalf zijn geworden, en 25 jaar na dato een meisjesdroom in vervulling hebben laten gaan.
     Marianne mompelt: "Ik hou van je" en ik mompel terug "ik ook van jou" (voor het eerst, want dat doe je niet als je twaalf bent!) en ik weet dat ik haar nu al mis. En alles wat ik de afgelopen dagen heb gevoeld wil vasthouden.
     Aangekomen op Schiphol word ik er door de douane uitgepikt. Ik krijg een kleur en weet dat ik mijn geheim aan deze douanebeambte zal moeten prijsgeven. Hij maakt mijn koffer open en het lachende gezicht van David straalt hem tegemoet. Met een onhandig lachje gan zijn handen door mijn koffer en hij weet niet hoe snel hij mijn koffer weer dicht moet doen.
 
 

We know actress Marian Mudder as police-woman Vera Prins in "Baantjer" (a Dutch police-series).  But what nobody else knows is, that in the early days she completely "worshipped" David Cassidy. She was such a big fan, that recently she decided to travel to Las Vegas on a search for her youth idol. Especially for Beau Monde Marian kept a diary.

Las Vegas, April 30, 2001.
What am I doing here, I ask myself at nine in the morning. I'm walking past "The Golden Nugget, one of the most photographed gambling palaces in Las Vegas.
     And who, for heavensakes, came up with the idea it would be fun to go here?
     Why will I go searching for an almost elderly pop-star in the heydays (sp.?) of his career? I try to get back that feeling that made me think of this whole idea. The documentary I saw on television a year ago.

Amsterdam, September 1999.
David Cassidy, idol in the beginning of the seventies. The "beauty" of the Partridge Family, a teenage television series about a performing musical family.
     I hadn't thought of hím for the past 25 years, and suddenly I sat there, eye in eye with an important part of my youth. In the documentary I saw my own "madness". The girlsroom decorated with photos. I recognized my favorite posters. Like the one of him sitting on this horse, his eyes piercing and his hair "waving", or the one where he, looking sad, wraps his arm around a huge white dog. "Oh how cute, he loved animals, just like me". And of course his hair did not have to be too short! Pics of him with his hair not completely "right" immediately got categorized in the B-category. It was not his muscular body that made him stand out, but the sultriness in his eyes, and "waving", carefully styled locks.
     I the documentary we also saw clips from the television series. David in love, David wearing a rabbit suit, looking unhappy. I still seem to remember the lyrics to the songs.
     The same giddiness feeling comes back to me. I replay the tape like 5 times, and I find myself sitting on the couch crying, and wondering why on earth I'm sobbing like that.
     I get to the conclusion I have never been in love so unconditionally since then. From the first moment I saw him it hit me. I remember my friendship with Marianne, my bosom friend with whom I shared my love for DC. And I especially remember the fun moments. Within 5 minutes after the first episode she called me on the phone and said : "Did you see him?", and with those words our alliance was a fact. Our mission began.

Rotterdam, June 1973.
Looking for English and American Magazines in a period no Dutch magazine ever gave him any attention. Apart from the "Avrobode" (a Dutch television guide), who, at our request, print a pic of him.
     It's summer, there's a heatwave going on, but nothing can keep us from cycling to the center of town to go check if "the magazines" have arrived yet. We have to do so, because most of the time stores only have one copy. (sample) Like "FAB!", a magazine in which he writes a column every week. "Words by DC himself!". We had scrapbooks full of pics that no-one else had. We had the only samples in all of the Netherlands, or so we thought. We never argued. We shared the pics without grumbling. The enthusiasm with which we celebrated our lovesickness, the feeling of success when we got another "Melody Maker" or a "SPEC", with huge color-posters in them... it was great. Within a couple of weeks my small bedroom is filled with pics, the sultriest of those staring at me when I am in bed. It has nothing to do with sex, I still know nothing about that. However, I do fantasize I kiss him, in a chaste (sp.?) way, like I see on TV.
     And I dream of him saying to me : "be mine tonight", a sentence I remember from his songs, although I have no clue what it means.

Amsterdam, September 1999.
I'm still sitting on the couch, crying. I realize that summer was one of the happiest in my life. No worries, innocent enjoyment, without really being able to value it because I knew nothing of life yet. After a year my fantasies about David are gone, real, (unhappy) love affairs take their place. Marianne emigrated to Canada, we lost touch. I remember our dreams to, after we finished school, go to LA and visit him at the Burbank Studios. I wipe away my tears and decide to write to her and ask her to fulfill our old dream. We are going to visit David Cassidy! In Las Vegas, where he still performs! We are going to see each other again after 15 years!

Las Vegas, Tuesday April 3rd 2001, in the morning.
Last night I arrived and went to bed immediately. I spent the first night on my own in "the Plaza". Wake-up call at 8am. I want to get up early and take a look around. I'm amazed at seeing people who, at 9am, are sitting here gambling, in these cold dark halls.
     When I go to the airport to meet Marianne I'm a bit nervous. Fifteen years...I've seen pics, we mailed a lot lately, but do we still know each other? Haven't we changed so much that we have nothing to say to each other anymore? A friendship during puberty or a friendship between a mother of 5 and....eh...me.
     Afraid to be late I arrive at the airport an hour early. I decide to walk around and suddenly I hear this clear "hello". There she is, ravishing (sp.?) as always. She took a plane early, and without even looking we have found each other.
     Nothing's changed, I can tell. We are a team again, a team on a mission. We check in at "the Rio", the hotel in which David performs. A 5-star hotel, where we're looked after like princesses. Gigantic, valetparking, swimmingpool with a "sandy beach", fantastic room with mountain view.
     Show is tomorrow. Today we have time to come up with a plan. A plan to meet HIM. That's the higher goal. After 25 years we didn't come to Las Vegas to not meet him. We have to think of a trick. But first we have to talk a lot, and of course do some sightseeing.
     We just go to see Vegas with an "open mind"....and then it's great. First of all to the "jungle hotel" The Mirage, famous for Siegfried and Roy and their white tigers. We take lunch in Caesar's Palace were Versace and other Italian stars can be found. All is "over the top", and all is done inside. The hotel airconditioning is freezing. The window glass is dark so you'll loose track of time as well as the knowledge it's gorgeous weather outside! Everything to keep the tourist gambling. But we don't fall for that. We relax at the swimmingpool and enjoy the sun and each other's company. We bury our sore feet in the warm sand. We enjoy the waterfalls near the swimmingpool and suddenly we spot a door that looks suspiciously like the backstage door to The Copa, the theater in the hotel in which the show will be held. Maybe this is a way to meet him. What if he comes out of there after the show and we will be waiting for him? We're 12 again. Still in our bathing suits we sneak through a gate and immediately there is this security-guard. We start giggling and retreat. This is not the way to go about it.
     The "fish"-restaurant has a view to the swimmingpool and also on the backstage door, so of course we dine there. Marianne spots it first: this time the door is open!
     Carefully we approach the door. This time no security-guard. We take a quick look inside and see the stage. What will we do? Do we go in? Now and again we catch a bit of the show. "Just a while longer and he will pass us", Marianne says. "Then what", I panic, what do we do? Jump right in front of him and shout "We love you"? We hear the notes of the last song. Like overaged groupies we peak through the door. At the last moment the door is closed. Thank God, I think to myself.

Las Vegas, Thursday April 5th 2001.
Shopping in The Fashion Show Mall, where we find a real Macy's and a Saks...much to our enjoyment. We went to see the new Venetian. Within this hotel Venice is rebuild, you can get in a gondola and fern (sp.?) the canal which runs through the hotel.
     Tonight we will see the show. I prepare myself for the disappointment of the decade.
     How will we approach him? We think off a lot of strategies. Ask at the box office, "no, he will leave immediately after the show". An usher tells us we should try to arrange a meeting via his manager. Marianne does all the talking while I, like in the old days, stand aside, feeling shy. To be honest, I'm quite embarrassed....being a grown-up...begging for my former teen-idol. Cowardly I stay in the background. Thankfully Marianne isn't bothered by feeling like this, and in the end she thinks of writing a note to David and giving it to the usher.
     "We've been fans for 28 years, please give us 28 seconds of your time for an autograph and a snapshot". well, that should do the trick............. To be honest, I don't give a damn about the autograph or the snapshot, I want to talk to him, I want to know what kind of man he really is. Have I been in love with a vain creep, or with a nice man?
     We go to our room and put on our make-up...silently. Then we go to the theater and look around. The audience mainly exists out of elderly people and fat people.
     Marianne delivers her note to the usher, and, so they promise, it will be delivered to the right place. She tells me not to go to the bathroom anymore, because we might be called to his dressingroom any minute. I doubt that, so I go to the bathroom and look myself over in the mirror, low and behold: I'm satisfied at what I see. I look gorgeous. If I can't meet him, at least he will see me.
     Our seats are perfect! The best seats in the house. It's incredible. We are seated in the middle in front of the stage. On our right are some stairs. Hmmm. It's a lounge act, there are tables and chairs and probably, so we're told, he will mix with the audience. Oh. (I keep a close eye on the path between our tables, so no-one will take too much space and make it impossible for David to go through there.)
     The show begins. Good band, great dancers, simple nightclub story. Where IS he? Marianne points out the little old man on the balcony. "There he is", she says. He spots us right away. Must not have been hard to do: me in shocking pink and Marianne in her golden dress, we both are with no doubt the most beautiful women of the evening. Let alone of the month!
     Playing the storyteller the "made" him old, sofar for the image of beautiful boy. He can't be too vain. The text is full of "self mockery" (irony?). Finally he comes out as himself and fortunately he plays a role. On the videoboards in town I'd seen clips off the show, and they looked so fake. My biggest fear was that he would prove to be awful. A nasty vain man who had to correct his hairline and just play his show. Nothing like that, it was great. He still look gorgeous. A small man, but then we knew that already, but with a huge dose of energy!!! He sings more "old" songs than I thought : "Cherish, I woke up in love this morning". He is swinging, he's funny and he definitely belongs on the stage. He sings, dances and acts, and enjoys playing this show, with a lot of irony as well, which is quite refreshing. He gets the giggles when two women start shouting to him and at each other (yes, this is Vegas..). He messes things up in a professional way. A woman in the back shouts "I Think I Love You", and he starts singing it. Suddenly he walks down the stairs. My sense of reality from the last few days is completely gone. "Please walk this way, walk this way", I pray in myself.
     And he does!! I'm stunned. He takes my hand and looks deep into my eyes. He conquers my heart at once and again. I don't know how I looked. I hope it was somewhat charming and not with a smirky smile. There was a bright light pointed at his face, but I could see his eyes : clear and full of joy, not unimportant at a moment like this!
     It felt like it took forever. And he liked me! At least so I thought. He's undoubtedly a charmer who can give every woman the feeling she's special to him. As much as I was in love in the old days...had someone told me then : "Marian, one day he will hold your hand and look you deep in the eye...", I probably would have fainted.
     In the meantime he moved on, and I have only one working braincell left and that one makes me take pics...click, click, and you're not allowed to take pictures.
     To my surprise and admiration Marianne hugs him. He looks surprised, he didn't expect this display of enthusiasm. I have to confess : during the rest of the show I sat there completely happy. He ends with "Las Vegas, my kinda town" on the melody of "Chicago" and disappears behind the curtain. That was it. We look at each other, dazed. We ask the usher if our note was accepted. Yes, it was. His manager joins us, and no, there's no time for a meeting, he has to leave quickly, but she has a signed pic for us. That will have to do.

Las Vegas, April 6th 2001.
Next morning at 4am we pack our suitcases, photo like a trophy on top. We hug each other and once again are amazed about the fact all of this has been so much fun. How we still make the same jokes at the same moment. And how we became 12 again, after having fulfilled our girls-dream.
     Marianne says : "I love you", and I say : "I love you, too" (for the first time, you don't do things like that when you're twelve!) and I know I miss her already. I also know I want to keep remembering everything I felt during the past few days.
     Customer-guards at Schiphol want to look in my suitcase. I blush, my secret will soon be no secret anymore. He opens my suitcase and the smiling face of David stares at him. With a "clumsy" smile on his face his hands go through my suitcase and quickly he closes it again.
 

Thanks to Patty for forwarding the story to me, Jós for translating it, and Marijke for sending me the translation.

BACK TO INDEX