In February 2016, in an emotional interview with PEOPLE, late music and television star David Cassidy opened up about living in denial of his dementia diagnosis — the same illness that had taken his beloved mother’s life. Fighting back tears, he recalled the last time she recognized him: “With just a tear falling every time I entered the room.” He feared he would meet the same fate.
A devastating family legacy
The disease that took his mother was now coming for him
For millions, David Cassidy will always be the heartthrob from The Partridge Family — the boy with the shaggy hair, dazzling smile, and voice that melted hearts in the 1970s. But away from the spotlight, Cassidy was grappling with a terrifying truth. His mother, Evelyn Ward, had suffered from dementia for years before her passing. He had watched her slowly fade away, each visit chipping a piece out of his own heart.
When Cassidy began forgetting lyrics on stage and losing his way during conversations, he tried to brush it off as stress. But the diagnosis came, and with it, the realization that he was walking the same path as his mother.
The last moments of recognition
A single tear said what words could not
One of Cassidy’s most painful memories was visiting his mother in her final years. She no longer spoke his name, no longer responded to his voice — except for a single tear that would roll down her cheek whenever he entered the room. “That was her way of telling me she still knew me,” he said. It was both a gift and a heartbreak.
Facing the end with honesty and love
Choosing to speak out before the lights went dark
By 2016, Cassidy decided to speak openly about his illness, hoping to raise awareness and encourage others to cherish every moment with loved ones. “I want to focus on what I am, who I am,” he told PEOPLE. “And I want to enjoy life.”
Less than two years later, David Cassidy passed away at the age of 67. His courage in sharing his truth remains one of the most poignant parts of his legacy — a reminder to live fully, love deeply, and never take recognition for granted.