C'mon, Get Happy: Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus [Paperback]

David Cassidy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1994

Throughout the first half of the '70s, David Cassidy of the Partridge Family was the highest-paid solo performer in the world--even bigger than Elvis, the Rolling Stones, or the Beatles. Now the definitive teen idol tells his honest story of what life was like as Keith Partridge. Includes rare photographs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 242 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing; First Edition edition (July 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446395315
• ISBN-13: 978-0446395311
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (93 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #194,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #60 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Television Performers

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars May Shatter Some Illusions, March 23, 2000

By 

Trudy Keenan - See all my reviews

This review is from: C'mon, Get Happy: Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus (Paperback)

Once I started reading I could not stop although if your memories of David are of a sweet faced butter wouldn't melt in your mouth type, this book may shatter some of those illusions. (My friend who read it at the same time was stunned!) However, I admire David's complete honesty in saying the truth of what it really was like to be "an idol" in the seventies and his relationship with Susan Dey (well we did always wonder). I wish he had expanded more on life after he retired from the world of pop in the 70s but the title of the book does suggest his time on "the Partridge Family Bus". It was quite an insight into how lonely life at the top can really be (and not necessarily financially secure). There were quite a few similarities in his story to that of Donny Osmond - fame, adulation and then zip! (Oh how fickle people are)If you were a big David Cassidy fan in the 70s you may be amazed at what he was really like but in reading this book I can only admire his courage for being so honest and it is an interesting (to say the least) book to read.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic book!, June 9, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: C'mon, Get Happy: Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus (Paperback)

Sure, David Cassidy had an active sex life. After all, it was the 70s, he was the biggest teen idol of the entire decade, and he was the star of an incredibly popular TV show. But what some reviewers seem to miss is that his personal life was incredibly compromised by his stardom...considering his lifestyle, it really didn't seem possible for him to have a "meaningful relationship" with anybody. This book shows how he survived an almost suffocating sort of fame and lived to tell about it, with great humor and wisdom.

Obviously, I'm a huge fan of David's but I was STILL pleasantly surprised at how funny and honest this book was. Not many people would decide to call it quits at the height of their fame, but David wisely saw the writing on the wall and got out while he still had his sanity. The years that followed do not sound pleasant by any means, but to his credit, he seems to have learned some very important life lessons from this dark period.

If you're interested in learning about "the making of a teen idol", this book is for you. The picture isn't pretty, but it is fascinating. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the GORGEOUS photos of David included in this book...that shag haircut still makes my heart flutter. David Cassidy...still a fox after all these years! ;)

P.S. to Susan Dey: I feel for you, Susan...I know what it's like to love him, too!

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wild Ride Baby!, December 11, 1999

By 

Mr. IT (The OC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: C'mon, Get Happy: Fear and Loathing on the Partridge Family Bus (Paperback)

I read this book in two (2) sittings.

David Cassidy isn't a great writer but he is a great storyteller and he has an interesting, painful, exhilerating, thought provoking story to tell. By the way, he tells it in a gritty, earthy tone that is inappropriate for non-adults.

The old joke is that if you remember the 70's you weren't there. Unfortunately, alot of us were - and lived to tell about it. The remembering can, at times, be tough. How do you bring closure to the decade that has been described as:

'The decade that taste forgot'

'The decade that had all the morality of two dogs in a park'

In this regard I found this book to be cathartic.

Without disclosing too much of the plot, I discovered that David Cassidy was a real guy with a real life and real issues to boot! I found much of myself in his story - especially in the areas of addiction and recovery. I found myself dealing with feelings and memories buried deep. I began to not only understand that crazy period better but come to grips with my place in that time as well.

Anyone who thinks that the answer to their problems is more money and/or fame should read this book! David Cassidy has gained much wisdom from his experiences and there is much to gain from his sharing.

I did.