Dante Daniel "Danny" Bonaduce is an American radio/television personality, comedian, professional
wrestler, and former child actor. Born in Broomall, Pennsylvania, Bonaduce is the son
of veteran TV writer/producer Joseph Bonaduce. The younger Bonaduce became famous as a child
actor of the 1970s on the sitcom/television series The Partridge Family. Bonaduce co-starred
as Danny Partridge, the wisecracking, redheaded middle son of the singing pop band. He and
Shirley Jones were the only Partridge cast members whose actual first names were also
that of the character he/she portrayed on screen. Danny was the fictional pop group's
bass guitar player. Bonaduce was part of The Adam Carolla Show
in 2007. In 2008 he was given a daily one-hour solo spot known as Broadcasting Bonaduce,
which was broadcast locally on the L.A.-based KLSX station. In February 2009, it was announced
that the station had changed its format from talk to Top 40, and the removal of Broadcasting
Bonaduce from the KLSX schedule was confirmed. On November 10, 2008, Bonaduce began hosting
the morning drive time on WYSP in Philadelphia, where he remained until the announcement that
WYSP would go off the air. His final broadcast on that station was on August 26, 2011. Bonaduce
has been performing a morning talk/music show at Seattle radio station KZOK-FM since November
14, 2011.
Early life By his own account, Bonaduce grew up in a
dysfunctional family and suffered severe physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father,
veteran TV writer and producer Joseph Bonaduce. He is of half Italian descent on his father's
side, and English descent on his mother's. Career
Acting Bonaduce made a small appearance in Bewitched
Season 5 episode 22 "Going Ape" as a young boy in the park whose chimpanzee follows Samantha
and Tabitha home. This is a credited appearance which was broadcast 2-27-69.
In the television series The Partridge Family, Bonaduce played the role of Danny Partridge,
a member of the musical Partridge family. In the show, the Partridges were a family
band that toured the country in their hip, Mondrian-inspired, painted school bus. Danny
Partridge played bass guitar for the band and his younger siblings, Tracy and Chris,
contributed to the band as percussionists. The series ran for four seasons, from 1970
to 1974 and, in 2003, Bonaduce was honored by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former
Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award for his role on the series.
Bonaduce's eponymous debut LP was released in 1973 by Lion Records, a subsidiary label
of MGM Records. Bonaduce has admitted that his vocals can barely be heard on the album;
most of the singing was provided by Bruce Roberts.
Bonaduce made several movies during and after the run of The Partridge Family. Perhaps the
most memorable of his films was Corvette Summer, starring Mark Hamill Hamill and Bonaduce played
high school students who went in search of a stolen customized Corvette Stingray. Bonaduce
also made guest appearances on several TV shows, including multiple appearances on the
popular police dramedy CHiPs. His career withered in the early 1980s.
Bonaduce and Partridge Family costar Dave Madden made cameo appearances in a 1994 episode
of Married... with Children. That same year, he appeared on an episode of Space Ghost Coast
to Coast. Later, when the episode was supposed to be on DVD, he refused it because he didn't
like the show. He has also guest-starred in the first two episodes of the seventh season
of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and as the son of Shirley Jones' character in the fourth
season of The Drew Carey Show. Bonaduce has appeared as himself on the detective series
Monk, and on the show Girlfriends. Bonaduce guest-starred with J. D. Roth on an episode
of Sex Wars. In 1999, Bonaduce appeared in the Christmas episode, "Sabrina, Nipping at
Your Nose", of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, after Salem buys a Twelve Days of Christmas
package at the 89 Cents Store, Bonaduce appears sitting in a pear tree, which Salem then exclaims,
"Danny Bonaduce! This is the best "Partridge" in a pear tree I could ask for!".
He also played a small cameo role in The Jerk Theory.
Radio and Post-Partridge Television In the late 1980s, Bonaduce had become an
on-air radio personality. He worked an overnight shift at Philadelphia's WEGX-FM.
In 1996, it was announced that an eponymous syndicated talk show would be hosted by Bonaduce,
i.e., The Danny Bonaduce Show. A reunion of most of the cast of The Partridge Family was
confirmed, including last season regular Ricky Segall and executive producer Bob Claver.
Susan Dey was unable to attend, but called into the show and reminisced with Bonaduce
for a few minutes. David Cassidy was working on a new album at the time and was unable
to participate in the show. From 1994 - 1996, Bonaduce hosted his own
radio show on The Loop WLUP AM/FM "The Danny Bonaduce Show". Between 1996 and 1998, Bonaduce
hosted a morning radio show in Detroit on WKQI with comedian and Last Comic Standing
winner John Heffron. From 2001 to 2003, Bonaduce co-hosted The
Other Half, a daytime talk show positioned as a complementary show to The View, on which
he starred with Mario Lopez, Dick Clark, and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Jan Adams. During this
time, he was also a Hollywood correspondent for the Australian morning show Today.
In 2007, Bonaduce was both host and judge of the show I Know My Kid's a Star, a reality
show on VH1 featuring parents and children trying to break into show business. He also
appeared as a judge on the Australian version of the show, My Kid's a Star.
Television news channels have been used by Bonaduce to express his political views during
his guest appearances. He is a strong supporter of capital punishment and a strong military.
Several controversial statements have been made by Bonaduce regarding left-wing or liberal
celebrities, such as his remarks that Jane Fonda should have been shot for treason for
her role in support of the Vietnamese authorities during the Vietnam War. He also stated on
MSNBC's Scarborough Country that "personally I think at this point if anyone had a rope
thick enough, I think that Rosie should be strung up for treason", referring to Rosie
O'Donnell. Bonaduce, admitting his own less-than-stellar
track record, gets the last laugh as a commentator for TruTV's TruTV Presents: World's Dumbest...
from 2008-2013. On the show, he ripped off one of his own eyebrows on-screen.
Bonaduce appeared in a Christmas Day episode of 1 vs. 100, where much of the mob was connected
to The Twelve Days of Christmas including Bonaduce as the "partridge in a pear tree"
in reference to Danny Partridge. Bonaduce starred in Breaking Bonaduce in 2005,
a reality television show on VH1. In one famous scene, often described as the greatest in
reality television history, Bonaduce falls off the wagon in dramatic style by riding
his Razor Scooter down a hill, through a red light to reach a convenience store, where
he buys a half-pint of vodka, slamming it in one gulp. He also hosted the short-lived
tabloid-themed game show Starface, on the Game Show Network.
He appeared in two episodes of Gene Simmons Family Jewels. In the first episode, Bonaduce
helped Simmons' partner Shannon Tweed to determine if a lie detector could possibly be defeated
by Simmons. In the second episode, Bonaduce appeared with Adam Carolla while Simmons was
hooked up to a lie detector. Questions were posed both to Gene Simmons and Shannon by
Bonaduce while each was hooked up to the polygraph machine.
Bonaduce received an award from the comedic TV show The Soup in 2009, and in a scripted
sketch, he refused to read his acceptance speech, and then he kissed show host Joel
McHale. Bonaduce also appeared in the crime scene
drama CSI based out of Las Vegas Nevada where he was the victim of the infamous miniature
killer as a character known as Izzy Delancy – a once great but philanderous rock star.
On October 31, 2011, it was announced by Seattle radio station 102.5 KZOK that Bonaduce would
be co-hosting their morning-drive show beginning on November 14, 2011. Bonaduce came to Seattle
from a radio stint at 94 WYSP in Philadelphia, following a format change from classic rock
to all sports radio in September 2011. Danny's Seattle morning show is on from 5:45 am – 9am
every weekday and podcasts are available on iTunes.
Danny Bonaduce is an ordained minister; he was ordained online in order to perform a
wedding ceremony as part of a 94WYSP radio promotion in early 2011. He received his ordination
from the Universal Life Church World Headquarters of Carrabelle, FL.
Altercation with Jonny Fairplay On October 2, 2007, Bonaduce was involved
in an altercation with infamous Survivor show participant Jon "Jonny Fairplay" Dalton during
the Fox Reality Awards. Toward the end of the awards show, Dalton appeared onstage and
was booed by the audience. Bonaduce walked on stage and explained that the audience reaction
was "because they hate you." Bonaduce was walking off the stage as Dalton called him
back. Dalton then jumped on Bonaduce to hug him and Bonaduce stated later that he was
uncomfortable with Dalton's hands near his throat. Bonaduce, a black belt in Tang Soo
Do, adjusted his balance and grip, and threw Dalton over Bonaduce's head. Dalton fell to
the floor, face first. Dalton stood up after a few moments and staggered before slowly
walking off stage, his back to the audience. Bonaduce then smiled and proceeded to make
faces and exaggerated shrugging motions at the audience before walking off stage.
Bonaduce later said the two had never previously had any negative altercations or words, but
that they had met occasionally in the past. He said he had never liked Dalton, mostly
because Dalton, in true "Jonny Fairplay" form, had lied about his grandmother's death during
his first run on Survivor. While Bonaduce did not believe Dalton was significantly hurt
at the time, TMZ.com confirmed that Fairplay bled significantly, lost some teeth and suffered
a broken toe. Dalton chose to press charges, and a felony
battery investigation was opened by the police. On October 5, 2007, the L.A. District Attorney's
office concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prove Bonaduce had committed a
battery, because the contact had been initiated by Dalton and Bonaduce had acted in self-defense.
Boxing and Wrestling As an adult, Bonaduce boxed Donny Osmond in
a charity event and later boxed former Brady, Barry Williams, in a separate event. Both
contests were won by Bonaduce, gaining a decision over Osmond and a TKO over Williams. On June
11, 2007, it was announced that Bonaduce would box attorney Robert Shapiro for a charitable
event. On September 13, 2008, "Reverend" Bob Levy
was defeated by Bonaduce by a TKO in the second one-minute round of a planned three-round
fight. Prior to the event, Levy had slapped Bonaduce while visiting Bonaduce's dressing
room. It was announced in early January 2009 that
Bonaduce would box against retired baseball player José Canseco at a charity event in
the Philadelphia area. Bonaduce reportedly trained for the fight in Sacramento, California
with boxing great Angelo Nuñez. On January 24, 2009, it was confirmed that Bonaduce and
Canseco had fought to a majority draw, even though Canseco outweighed Bonaduce by 100
pounds, and had a one-foot height advantage. Bonaduce was a key player in the series Hulk
Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling. In April 1994, it was announced that Bonaduce
would be making his professional wrestling debut in a "Dark Match" at the Spring Stampede
in Chicago. On April 17, 1994, Bonaduce stepped into the squared circle at the Rosemont Horizon.
His adversary was another 1970s TV star, the Brady Bunch's Christopher Knight. Bonaduce
triumphed. Bonaduce had his second professional wrestling
match at Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's April pay-per-view event Lockdown against
Eric Young, in which he lost. On November 14, 2010, Danny Bonaduce teamed
with Jimmy Deo to defeat The Dark Dragons at Regional Championship Wrestling's Megabrawl
5 in Reading, PA. Writing
In 2002, Bonaduce released an autobiography, Random Acts of Badness.
Personal life The younger Bonaduce became famous at the
age of eleven in the television series The Partridge Family, starring as the middle son,
Danny Partridge. Danny stood out with his naturally red hair and wisecracking. His character
was the constant bane of the family's manager, Reuben Kincaid, portrayed by Dave Madden.
In real life, Madden was something of a second father to Bonaduce, taking Danny into his
home during periods of domestic strife in the boy’s own home. Bonaduce also had a
close relationship with co-star Shirley Jones. Following the end of the series, Bonaduce's
late teens and twenties involved drug abuse and even a period of homelessness. On his
own radio show on August 4, 1997, the actor told listeners that he had lived in his car
behind Grauman's Chinese Theatre for a time, while being greeted by fans and autograph
seekers. In 1985, Bonaduce married Japanese real estate
agent Setsuko Hattori. The marriage lasted three years.
On November 4, 1990, Bonaduce met second wife Gretchen Hillmer on a blind date and, on a
whim, they married the same day. Despite the unusual start to the marriage, the two remained
married for over sixteen years and had two children together, Isabella and Dante. On
April 9, 2007, the two divorced, citing irreconcilable differences.
Bonaduce began dating his current wife, Amy Railsback, in April 2007. They met at a Starbucks
in the Los Angeles area. Railsback, who is 23 years his junior, is a former substitute
school teacher. She now manages Bonaduce's career full-time, runs Gravel Tones Productions
Inc, and is occasionally seen in sketches on The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest...
on truTV. Danny proposed to Amy in March 2009, and the couple married on November 22, 2010
at the Four Seasons on Maui, Hawaii. They maintain homes in both Los Angeles and Seattle.
Arrests Bonaduce had several arrests following his
Partridge Family days, but two were especially high-profile incidents.
On March 9, 1990, he was arrested while attempting to buy cocaine in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Ironically, Bonaduce was there to host an event for D.A.R.E., an anti-drug campaign
aimed at children. Bonaduce was suspended from WEGX, and then reinstated under the condition
he attend therapy and drug rehabilitation. He was eventually fired from WEGX and moved
to a shift at KKFR-FM in Phoenix, Arizona. On March 31, 1991, he was arrested on charges
of robbing and beating a transvestite prostitute in Phoenix. Police found him hiding in a closet
in his apartment. Police alleged he had picked up the prostitute in his car. According to
the police report, Bonaduce beat and kicked the prostitute before taking his money back.
Residents heard screaming and called police. "When I picked him up," Bonaduce later explained,
"I thought he was a girl. I picked him up, he got in my car. As soon as he got in and
the dome light hit him, it was obvious. He wasn't a good transvestite. If he was a good
transvestite, I might never had known. I was wasted. He gets in the car and I said, 'Oh,
sorry, wrong car.' And he says, 'Well you took me off my corner, give me $40.00.' I
said 'Dude, wrong car, hop out!' This went on for 6 or 7 minutes and he still wouldn't
get out. So I get out of the car, opened his door and pulled him out of the car. But when
I did, I see he's this huge guy, about 220 pounds. I weighed 150 pounds! I attacked him
first, not because I wanted to, I just thought I was going to have to and I'm too small to
take the punishment from a 220-pound man. If he had hit first, I would have gone down
and stayed down. So I attacked him and it turned into a fight". Following his arrest,
he was fired by KKFR. In 2010, while appearing on a reunion of famous
TV families on NBC's Today, David Cassidy remarked, "Whenever Bonaduce gets arrested,
for some reason, people call me." The two remain friends and have performed together
on many occasions in the years following the Partridge Family.
Notes
References March 2009, Bonaduce proposes to girlfriend
External links Official website
Danny Bonaduce at the Internet Movie Database Danny Bonaduce at nndb.com
Interview with Danny, and more about the music. When Young Stars Burn Out MSN
Movies Jan 10 2009 Audio Interview with In Your Head