David Cassidy Dies At 67, Fans Mourn First Love

David Cassidy died on Tuesday at 67, according to his publicist and family.

Cassidy, the actor best known for his role on Partridge Family, had been hospitalized in Florida in critical condition with organ failure, according to multiple reports.

Cassidy's rep, JoAnn Geffen, confirmed the news to Variety. TMZ first reported that Cassidy had been hospitalized and sources told the publication Cassidy was rushed to the hospital; he had been in an induced coma but was later conscious and surrounded by family.

In February, Cassidy announced that he was suffering from dementia.

And after his death Tuesday, around the world, millions of women mourned the man who was their first heartthrob, their first love.

Below is a reprint of a post written for Patch by Lisa Finn when David Cassidy appeared at the Suffolk Theatre in Riverhead on Long Island in April 2016. One year later, and the world is forever faded without the man who'll live forever in memories as that silky haired teen idol who stole hearts and whose music is seared on hearts.

David Cassidy, we knew we loved you. And we'll miss you forever.

When I was a little girl, "The Partridge Family" was a Friday night, never-miss-it ritual. And while I loved the show's premise, about a widowed mom taking her kids on the road in a psychedelic, multi-colored school bus, there was nothing, and I mean nothing, I loved more than David Cassidy.

He was my first crush. A full-blown, starry-eyed infatuation. I collected Tiger Beat magazines dutifully, cutting out his photos and pasting them into a scrapbook. Knew every word to every song, and sang along, out of tune and all.

I was smitten.

My mom was a good sport, buying me all his albums. And she even took me to his concert at Madison Square Garden in 1972, and bought me an autographed, black and white glossy photo to hang on my wall. It was my first concert, and I don't think in all the years I've lived since, I've ever matched that level of pure excitement and exhilaration. I was in New York City! And David Cassidy was in the same room! Singing to me! (And hundreds of other screaming girls, but that was a mere technicality).

I remember we sat next to a teenager with long hair. She must have been no more than 15, but to me, she was all grown up and so, so cool. She was wearing jeans and she had on makeup and when she spoke to me, I was tongue-tied, a shy little girl who had no idea how I'd ever manage that level of sophistication.

When she handed me her binoculars, so I could see David Cassidy close up, my hands were shaking, I remember that. I held those magical binoculars up and peered through, and there he was, singing in that velvet voice. "I Think I Love You." "Summer Days." "I'll Meet You Halfway." "Point Me in the Direction of Albuquerque."

Even now, so many years later, I still remember every word to every song.

It's like that, with your first love. You remember every whisper, every word, every nuance. Every soft smile.

It's all there, stored like a treasure, deep in your heart.

I saw David Cassidy once in my 20s in a smaller venue in New York, when I was finally feeling a bit more self-confident and successful, with a career and direction of my own. But the minute he took the stage, I was back to 1972, all the feelings and emotions still there, so vivid.

I guess I'm not the only one. Far from it — David Cassidy has made millions of girls sing, swoon, scream, sigh. And yes, we're all grown women now. We've all lived full, rich lives, had real-life loves and beautiful children, forged professional careers and reached levels of success and happiness we never even imagined back then, in 1972.

And yes, David Cassidy, like all of us, has lived, a real, full life, marked by challenges and trying times. Those trials have made him, in our eyes, a bit more human, facing life, as we all must, one day at a time.

We've grown up together, we frenzied fans and our golden idol. We're different than we were all those years ago, when a simple vinyl record could symbolize a dream come true. Older, somewhat world weary. Not so easily delighted.

But still. Deep down, under all the polished layers and professional appearances, aren't we all still dancing, singing, screaming teeny boppers, thrilled to our bones that David Cassidy is going to perform Friday night at the Suffolk Theater? In Riverhead? Close to home?!

Of course we are. We're all giddy with excitement, digging out old posters and pennants, T-shirts and Tiger Beat magazines, gifts to lay at the feet of our forever teen idol.

And for one night, one moment in time, we can open up the treasure chests in our collective hearts and bring out those feelings, that unadulterated, sheer joy, that pure, innocent magic of yes, true love. First love.

And feel it all over again, just one more time.

David Cassidy, we think we love you. We'll meet you halfway (at the theatre), and remember those summer days. Could it be forever? Probably not. But just one more time, you can feel our hearts beat. And one more time, we'll sing, together, "Cherish me as much as I cherish you."

David Cassidy appeared at the Suffolk Theater on Main Street in Riverhead twice in 2016 to a sold-out house.

Patch photo by Lisa Finn.