50 years have passed since 'The Partridge Family' drove the colorfully painted tour
bus to the top of both TV ratings and music charts with songs like I Think I Love You,
I Woke Up In Love This Morning and I’ll Meet You Halfway. The Partridge Family first
aired in 1970 and ran for four seasons and 96 episodes until 1974.
The show followed single-mom Shirley Partridge and her five kids who form a rock band and
went on tour around the country to support themselves and enjoy success. The television
family captured the heart of America in the early 1970s, and their charm is still remembered.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the show’s premiere, so let’s find out what
the Partridge family has been doing now.
Shirley Jones
Actress Shirley Jones played the role of matriarch of the Partridge family, Shirley Renfrew Partridge.
Prior to her role in The Partridge Family, Shirley was best known for appearing in musical
movies like Oklahoma! (1955), Carousel (1956), and The Music Man (1962). In 1960, she won
the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie, Elmer Gantry.
After The Partridge Family, she continued guest-starring in different TV shows. In 1979,
she starred in Shirley which ran for a season. Apart from being an actress, Shirley is also
an accomplished singer having released six studio albums.
Today at 86, Shirley resides in Los Angeles. She is set to appear in the 2021 movie Forgiven
This Gun4hire.
David Cassidy
Lead singer of the group, Keith, was played by actor David Cassidy in all seasons of The
Partridge Family. Portrayal of Keith propelled Cassidy’s fame as a pop star during the
70s. David Cassidy released four studio albums
while he was still in The Partridge Family.
After the show ended in 1974, David continued his journey as an actor and musician. In 1978,
he starred as Officer Dan Shay in David Cassidy: Man Undercover and as David Gallagher in Ruby
& The Rockits in 2009. Following more than 4 decades of entertaining the world, David
tragically passed away in 2017 at age 67, suffering organ failure.
Susan Dey
70’s heartthrob, Susan Dey portrayed the role of Laurie, the eldest daughter in all
seasons of The Partridge Family. Following The Partridge Family, she guest-starred in
a few shows and TV movies. In 1983, she appeared as Celia Mallory in 22 episodes of Emerald
Point N.A.S. From 1986 to 92 she starred in 110 episodes of L.A. Law.
In 2004, after appearing in two episodes of Third Watch, Dey announced retirement from
acting. The 67 years old actress currently resides in Upstate New York with her husband,
Bernard Sofronski. Nowadays, you can find Dey working in the Rape Treatment Center at
UCLA Medical Center.
Danny Bonaduce
Actor Danny Bonaduce played the role of Danny Partridge in all four seasons of The Partridge
Family for which Young Artist Foundation awarded him Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement
Award” in 2003.
Following The Partridge Family, Danny went on to become a radio personality. During the
late 70s, he worked at Philadelphia’s WEGX-FM. Later, from 1994 to 1996, Bonaduce hosted
The Danny Bonaduce Show on The Loop WLUP.
In 1990, Bonaduce was arrested while attempting to buy cocaine in Florida, when he was there
to host an anti-drug campaign aimed at children. From 2005 to 2006, Bonaduce starred in the
VH1 reality show, Breaking Bonaduce, which ran for 2 seasons.
Nowadays, the 60 years old actor spends his time between Los Angeles and Seattle with
wife Amy Railsback. His last acting role was in the 2019 TV series, The Kids Are Alright.
Jeremy Gelbwaks
Former child actor Jeremy Gelbwaks played the role of Chris Partridge in the first season
of The Partridge Family. Jeremy stepped down from acting after he was replaced by Brian
Forster.
Following The Partridge Family, he went on to complete his studies and graduated in 1982.
He worked as a computer analyst while studying chemistry at UC Berkeley. Jeremy appeared
in a 1995 Partridge Family reunion on The Danny Bonaduce Show. Gelbwaks, now 58, lives
in New Orleans with his wife and works as a technology and business planner.
Brian Forster
Child actor Brian Forster replaced Jeremy Gelbwaks as Chris Partridge from the second
season of the show. Apart from The Partridge Family, Forster also appeared in a few other
shows like The Brady Bunch, Family Affair, Thanksgiving Reunion with The Partridge Family
and My Three Sons. He also lent his voice as Chris Partridge in shows like Goober and
the Ghost Chasers, Partridge Family 2200 A.D., and Fred Flintstone and Friends. After finishing
his childhood acting career, he became a race car driver based in Northern California. Then
he worked as a science teacher for both elementary and high school levels for some years. Nowadays
59-year-old Brain works in the Northern California Community Theatre.