Farewell to First Love: On David Cassidy's Passing

I am surprised by the immeasurable sadness I feel at the news of David Cassidys passing, last week at the age of 67. Some of you are too young to remember him at the height of his celebrity, on stage in a skintight purple jumpsuit, but he was my clandestine, after-school TV crush. It was a clandestine affair because: a) he was much too old for me, b) he was a white boy, which even I knew in 1975 was problematic for a black girl; and c) the infatuation made me worry about betraying my true love, Michael Jackson. Truthfully, David could never compete with Michael, but he had those baby fawn lashes ringing eyes that were an indescribable shade of purplish-green, and all that nicely feathered hair. In his Teen Beat photos, Cassidy would sometimes wear a puka shell necklace with a tight, 2 button waffle weave shirt that made you wonder what lay beyond the final buttonhole. And the way he would move his shoulders all sensuously when he was playing the guitar on stage with his Partridge family mother, brothers and sisters it was all so sexy and safe at the same time. In other words, the perfect love object for a 12 year old girl.

For a Midwestern girl like me, Cassidys Californian-ness added a foreign, exotic note to his perfume. I didnt quite know what a taco stand was, but Keith Partridge was always meeting his girlfriends there. It made me wish we had one, outside my elementary school, where he could order me a soda. He was also a very good singer, which I feel the media has failed to sufficiently acknowledge upon his passing.

Three years ago, when my daughter was at the height of her infatuation with Justin Bieber, I read an amazing novel by Allison Pearson called I Think I Love You, about a 13 year-old Welsh girls crush on David Cassidy. Every woman, mother or girl who has lived through an adolescent celebrity crush must read this book.

To see the photos of Cassidy in the months before he died, at age 67 (and how could he be 67???? Forever 17 in my heart!) -- all wrecked-looking --was just shockingly sad. His eyes were still beautiful, though.

Rest in Peace, David.