Former Partridge Family star and quintessential teen idol David Cassidy has decided to stop performing live because he’s suffering from dementia. Cassidy revealed his battle with the disease to People, saying, “I was in denial, but a part of me always knew this was coming.” Both Cassidy’s grandfather and mother had been diagnosed with dementia and he says he “feared ending up that way.” But after forgetting lyrics to his famous songs at a concert in California last week and appearing to fall off the stage, the 66-year-old singer has now announced plans to step away from performing as the disease progresses. “I want to focus on what I am, who I am, and how I’ve been without any distractions,” he says. “I want to love. I want to enjoy life.”
Cassidy added on his website that he’ll continue performing through 2017 as one final farewell:
“I will always be eternally grateful for the love and support you’ve shown me. I still love very much to play and perform live. But it’s much more difficult for me now. I’m not going to vanish or disappear forever. I’ll be able to communicate much more through my website and my Facebook page. As you can imagine this has been truthfully THE MOST DIFFICULT DECISION I HAVE EVER MADE IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. I’m eternally grateful to each and every single one of you. I’m going to play live, everywhere around North America, through 2017. I hope you will find a way to come and be part of my celebration!”
