David Cassidy’s Family and Fans Pay Tribute As the Star Gets His Own Street in West Orange, New Jersey
Hundreds of fans, family members, and friends from around the world gathered in West Orange, New Jersey, on July 30 and 31, 2025, to celebrate former West Orange resident David Cassidy, star of The Partridge Family and record-setting pop star of the 70s music scene. The occasion? The dedication of David Cassidy Way, a street in the star’s hometown.
The two-day slate of events kicked off with an event led by West Orange Mayor Susan McCartney and organizers Karen Ranieri and Barbara Collentine, where local historian and author shared the story of the Cassidy family’s West Orange roots.
Credit: Johnny Miller
Cassidy’s parents, Jack and Evelyn, began their Broadway careers in nearby New York City, while living in West Orange during David’s formative years. A few years after Jack and Evelyn divorced, Evelyn moved out to California with young David, who dreamed of a show business career like his father’s.
But it was West Orange that Cassidy would look back on as a sanctuary of sorts; a home and a history for which he wrote and recorded music, and a place he cherished more than anywhere else he had ever lived in his entire life .
Labor of Love
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On the morning of July 30, David Cassidy’s two children, son Beau Cassidy and daughter Katie Cassidy, arrived in West Orange, welcomed with open arms by the city in a private gathering at the Mayor’s office.
“West Orange was one of the most important places and most important of times in my dad’s life,” Beau told ReMind, “and I would argue it was probably one of the happiest times of his life.”
“There’s something deeper about coming to …” He paused in emotion. “I’m going to try to phrase this right. To know that he left a mark in a kind of way, where the place that he grew up would show so much pride over who he was and what he meant to a community, carries a deeper meaning for me.
“I don’t think he would have imagined this is what would happen in terms of his legacy, because I always felt, in his own mind, that he downplayed his legacy and downplayed what he meant. So, to know that the place where he grew up, and the place where he had the best memories, is proud enough to commemorate him like this …” Beau waited a moment, then went on. “I don’t think that there’s anything he would be more proud of.”
Credit:Johnny Miller
Katie Cassidy, also overwhelmed at the outpouring of love, added, “This is incredible. It’s so great to see everybody who loved my dad. This is just a beautiful experience and it would mean everything to my dad. I’m just really proud and honored.” And, she added, “The fans are incredible.”
Also present were cousins of David Cassidy including Joe Cassidy, Kelly Cassidy and Keith Douglas. The family reunion took place for 20 minutes to half an hour, accompanied by good friend and legendary rock and roll photographer, Henry Diltz. The full groups was escorted in a police motorcade to Colgate Field, where David Cassidy’s family was greeted by hundreds of fans from as far away as Poland, England, and the Netherlands, alongside local residents of New Jersey.
The dedication ceremony took place on home plate of Colgate Field, where David played Little League. It was poignant, with audio clips of David singing “The Star-Spanged Banner,” and “God Bless America.” As David’s voice boomed through huge speakers, there wasn’t a dry eye on the ballfield, including among his children, who stood at home plate, faced with a microphone, humbled and awed as they spoke to the passionate crowd. Katie’s voice crackled with raw emotion and Beau was visibly overwhelmed, pushing back tears as they so honestly and humbly paid tribute to their father.
The motorcade, followed by the walking crowd, moved down the street to the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, where David first sang publicly as a child in the junior choir. The Reverend Miguel Hernandez said a prayer and blessed a candle in David’s honor. The church also mounted a framed photo of David, placed near the town’s other claim to fame, Thomas Edison!
Credit:Johnny Miller
Fans then rallied around David Cassidy’s new historical marker, the street sign for David Cassidy Way, placed on the corner of Harrison Avenue and Elm Street — the street where his childhood home still stands. Thousands of photos were taken. In fact, a huge photo cut-out of Partridge Family bus that fans could pose inside was placed in the outfield at Colgate Park for that very reason.
Summer Days
Credit: Johnny Miller
The celebration continued at the Highlawn, a glamorous venue with a $150 admission price that included appetizers, dinner, dessert, guest speakers, merch tables, photos with Henry Diltz, and live entertainment by The Characters, who played all the Partridge Family hits.
Fans danced and celebrated like never before, packing the house, reminding the world just how much David Cassidy influenced millions of lives. Surprise videos were shown on a big screen; brothers Patrick Cassidy and Ryan Cassidy, ex-wife Sue Shifrin, best friend Sam Hyman, Partridge Family stand-in Jan Freeman, actor and friend Bruce Kimmel, and co-star Danny Bonaduce were a few of the many who contributed sentiments.
Havin’ a Ball
Credit:Johnny Miller
On day two, events continued with a bus tour of West Orange, followed by another two-part slide show from Henry Diltz, given at the local Elks Lodge. Merch tables remained continually busy while a DJ kept the room dancing with more Cassidy hits.
West Orange embraced the event, with fans visiting local shops and restaurants, and generally taking in the beauty of the quaint, nostalgic, small-town atmosphere.
Katie Cassidy posted a photo of herself on social media, posing with the bus cut-out under a caption that reads, “Hey Dad … we KNOW we love you!” More tears. More laughter. More dancing. There was no coaxing anyone to get happy. That box was checked in triplicate.
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