Shaun Squad Society
The Shaun Squad Society Podcast is a podcast written, produced and hosted by three women who want to keep the Magic of a Midnight Sky alive!
Cindy, Dorese and Dame became friends at a Shaun Cassidy concert and immediately decided to form "The Shaun Squad." Soon after, the Shaun Squad Society Podcast was conceived to discuss and reminisce about all-things Shaun Cassidy, from his first years as a teen idol to his current career as a writer and producer.
This podcast brings together a community of Shaun's devoted fans, the ones who played his albums non-stop, and who tuned into The Hardy Boys Mysteries every Sunday evening. And now, 46 years later, Shaun's story-telling tour has delighted fans again. So, join us for the stories, fun-facts, and fascinating interviews as we take you down memory lane with our Teen Dream, Shaun Cassidy.
Shaun Squad Society
Celebrating Shirley Jones: A Nostalgic Tribute to an Entertainment Icon, Part 2
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As the stage lights dim and the final notes of a Broadway classic fade, the enduring spirit of Shirley Jones continues to captivate our hearts. Step into the life of a small-town girl who sang her way to stardom, weaving through her iconic roles in "Oklahoma" and "Elmer Gantry," and into the fabric of our pop culture tapestry. Joined by the voices of the Pop Culture Preservation Society podcast and the Shaun Cassidy Fan Convention Facebook group, we celebrate Shirley's birthday with a melodic blend of admiration and nostalgia.
Love, loss, and the resilience of a star—Shirley Jones' world was one of contrast, where the spotlight of her career often intertwined with the shadows of personal challenges. The narrative unfolds as we recount the passionate yet tumultuous love story with Jack Cassidy, a tale marked by his struggles with bipolar disorder and their lasting impact. We then transition to the 35-year marriage to Marty and the melody of motherhood, raising sons who would echo her artistic legacy. Their stories, from David's hesitant acceptance to Shaun's determined forging of his own path, are as multi-layered as the roles Shirley has portrayed.
Curtains up on the final act as Shirley Jones' contributions to family entertainment take center stage. The Partridge Family's notes resonate through the years, as we recall the balance Shirley maintained between her on-screen persona and her off-camera role as matriarch. Shaun Cassidy's determination to shine on his own terms, and the familial chords struck throughout Shirley's later career, illustrate the depth of her influence. We close with a chorus of 'Happy Birthday' and heartfelt appreciation for an icon whose grace notes will forever be etched into our collective memory of stage and screen. Join us for an episode that celebrates not just a career, but a life that continues to inspire.
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Shirley Jones, this is your life. Someday, the dreams that I dream may come true and I'll come back to you. Hello world, hear the song that we're singing? Come on, get happy. Whale song, soft and low. Sing me a story as gently you go, whale song. I hear what you say. This may be the last time you're passing this way. Love is harmony. Love is family. Love is you and me. Love is you and me. Love is you and me.
Speaker 2Hey, this is Danny Bonaduce and you are listening to the Sean Squad Society Podcast with your hosts, cindy, doris and Dane.
Speaker 3Is that the phone? I hear Cindy. We have some callers. We have a couple of callers calling in. I see our lines blinking. Oh, I wonder what that's about. Well, we're going to take those calls yes.
Speaker 4Oh my goodness, this is exciting.
Speaker 5Hi, this is Kristen from the Pop Culture Preservation Society podcast, wishing a very happy birthday to Shirley Jones, my Madam Librarian, my Shirley Partridge, the mom that everybody wanted right. We'll forever love her. Happy birthday, shirley.
Speaker 6Hi, this is Carolyn from the Pop Culture Preservation Society and I wanted to wish Shirley Jones a very happy 90th birthday. My all-time favorite memories with my dad actually involve Shirley Jones. Watch the carousel every time it came on TV. My dad loved that musical and we both would always end up teary-eyed at the end, every single time.
Speaker 2Hi, Shirley. This is Janet Connell. I run the Sean Cassidy Fan Convention Facebook group for Sean. I just wanted to tell you on behalf of myself and everyone in our group. We hope you have a fantastic and blessed birthday. Happy birthday Everybody. Look down, get with it, Everybody look down, that's the game.
Speaker 4Welcome to the Sean's Squad Society Podcast with your hosts myself, cindy, doris, jay Madonna where we invite you to share in our enthusiasm and reminisce about all things Sean Cassidy from his teen idol days to his recent adventures.
Speaker 3Back on the road again.
Speaker 7Please join us for the stories and memories that connected us to those happy days that helped create the Sean Squad Society podcast.
Speaker 3We did part one of this two-part episode celebrating Shirley.
Speaker 4Jones. Yes, part one was about her early career. Yeah, how she started.
Speaker 3We really talked about where she came from, how she got her start as a little girl singing in church in Oklahoma, how she hooked up with not hooked up, how she connected with Rodgers and Hammerstein and all of her movie musicals that were like the beginning of her career and we left off, I think, after talking about her movies with the singing and dancing and all the fun there. She had the Courtship of Eddie's Father, of course, which was not a musical, and she had Elmer, of course, which was not a musical, and she had Elmer Gantry, which wasn't a musical. But we left off talking about her career with movies where it was after the singing musical.
Speaker 4And you know what? I think she really actually won the lottery with all this, because think of how it started for her. You know, this wasn't the path that was expected. It was just kind of you know, there for her. So it all worked out for her in the beginning.
Speaker 7Yes, it was great for her story and then Sean even said recently that it was because she was on that motion picture to begin with with Oklahoma. So I felt pretty proud to hear that he recently said that that that began her career.
Speaker 4She's very proud of that. It was long hours, like we said. You know it was a lot of work, A lot of long hours. She's very proud of it, yeah.
Speaker 7But it led to Jack and it led to her sons. Here we are today.
Speaker 3That's what we're going to continue talking about Her marriages to Jack Cassidy and Marty, and her sons, including David. And we're going to talk a little bit about where she went after those movies. What was her career after?
Speaker 4that what was she doing?
Speaker 7Well, I know her love story. Yes, just the beginning.
Speaker 4I just know the first part of that with Jack, yeah we talked about that a little bit when she did the movie Oklahoma. But then there was a stage production that went overseas to Europe and they were in Paris and this is where Jack joined the team.
Speaker 7So he was in Oklahoma with her with the traveling production and they warned her, but they warned her about this guy that was going to be playing early.
Speaker 7And they said you're going to think he's handsome and you're going to think he's talented, but do not fall in love with him. Well, she didn't think that would happen because it didn't sound like her. But then she saw him and he had that beautiful white blonde hair. But then she saw him and he had that beautiful white blonde hair. And then they said he had the hypnotic blue Irish eyes. Yes, and that it wasn't just his looks, but on top of that he was so smart, knew about fashion and he liked to compliment her. And then, as she listened about him, she was like wow, even his dad was an engineer. And then she listened some more and she found out that when he was 11 years old he was already working jobs. So she was building that little respect in him so soon. And then she heard that he had started Broadway when he was like 16 years old.
Speaker 3Oh yeah, he started on stage very young, yes.
Speaker 7And then she wasn't prepared for how much she was going to like Jack. She found out as, listening to him, she thought he was an amazing performer, an amazing singer. Of course he's going to turn around and, of course, compliment her on her singing. And then he went on and on about this and that. But he was so polite, he was such a gentleman.
Speaker 7And if you girls were to think about the perfect date, what would it be? Dinner and dancing. Well, that's what this was, because they sat down. Well, on top of that, they're sitting there having dinner and they're looking out the window and guess what? They see the Eiffel Tower. They're in Paris, right? Yes, Paris, france. This is like the most romantic date anybody could have. And they weren't even trying to have a date. And they spent all this time together and danced all night and she said he was just such a gentleman to her.
Speaker 7And then they piled up in the cab I think it was like 5 in the morning and they were getting ready to pass over the bridge before going back to where they were staying, and Jack said hi, would you like to get out and walk the bridge? Well, she's not going to turn that down. That sounded so romantic, you know, with the way Paris looked, people riding around on their bicycles and just getting up in the morning and Paris is a romantic city she never wanted that to end that walk. That was like the best romantic walk. Well, when he finally got her to where she needed to go and they were separating from having such a fun night, she wouldn't kiss him and she only let him give her a little tiny butterfly kiss. What do you think he said? He said I'm going to marry you someday, and then he left.
Speaker 2And then, he left.
Speaker 7So she just thought he was so neat.
Speaker 4But he was the guy, yeah and apparently this tour was part of a tour called An American Salute to France, so this production was scheduled to go to Rome and then London, so they were in Paris when this all took place, this whirlwind date.
Speaker 3This beautiful romantic date, oh man yeah.
Speaker 4And you're right. Their friends were like please don't marry him. He's going to break your heart, You're going to be in for a terrible time. Please don't fall in love with him. So everybody's pleading with her Don't do it.
Speaker 7She didn't think it would happen either. She's like whatever you know.
Speaker 4She's young, you know, her mind's not thinking that way. Yeah, but then you got that Jack Cassidy charm coming at you at high speed.
Speaker 7That meant so much to her. Even to his last day, she still you could tell she still felt that it never went away. It's true love, girls. It's like the most amazing date. Guys should learn from this. I know it's probably mostly girls that listen to this.
Speaker 3It's kind of cliche but it works. I mean, it is Eiffel Tower in the background. Oh my gosh Dancing all night.
Speaker 4Eiffel Tower in the background. I know, oh my gosh Dancing all night.
Speaker 3I'm going to marry you someday. It's kind of cliche, but it happened.
Speaker 7He pretty much proposed to her because that was like the perfect time to propose to her, but the only thing is they weren't even a couple, so that was kind of ironic.
Speaker 4Very ironic. And then they were together ever since. Yes, yes. I believe they finished off the tour, they and then they were together ever since. Yes, I believe they finished off the tour. They came back and they ended up getting married August 1956. It was the next year.
Speaker 3Because didn't you say that they opened over there in Paris? And then, one year later August 1956, they get married.
Speaker 7August 6, 1956, yes, was their wedding day, so obviously Jack knew what he was talking about, and Shirley went along with it. Yeah, she surely did.
Speaker 4She couldn't resist. Her mom didn't like him. Did you know that? I didn't know that Shirley's mom said to Jack after they got married. She said Jack, how many other women are you going to see? Oh no, and Jack says don't worry, marge, I'm not seeing any, but I'll find one soon. And Jack said it.
Speaker 3You know pretty matter-of-factly, like being kind of sarcastic, but like tongue-in-cheek, like yeah, maybe I am going to be seeing some other and he was telling the truth.
Speaker 7Yeah, but girls on top of that, it was still true love, because that last, at that last moment, he tried to stay with her, even at his last day of being alive, the last moment of being alive.
Speaker 4Yeah, they kind of went back and forth their whole relationship.
Relationships and Losses
Speaker 3They had a very rocky, stormy relationship and I guess throughout the whole thing they went back and forth and had some separations. I think I was reading a little bit. I read just a little bit that they had a separation and Shirley didn't see it coming little bit. That they had a separation and Shirley didn't see it coming Up out of the blue. Jack used to call her Mouse and he said he took her to dinner again an Italian restaurant, and he said well, mouse, I think we need to try a separation.
Speaker 4Yeah, this was in January of 72. This was during the Partridge family.
Speaker 3Yeah, the Partridge family was on hiatus. Yeah, and she said she tried her best to hold back the tears. She walked out of that restaurant alone.
Speaker 4She asked why she didn't know why she was trying not to cry. And she asked why. And he said he needed to live by himself right now. He didn't want a divorce. In her book it says Mouse, I need to live by myself right now. I don't want a divorce, I just need to be by myself. I just can't be here for the kids and for you anymore. It's an age thing, he said. So what is this? A midlife crisis? A midlife crisis.
Speaker 3Jack. Cassidy was being a man. He was doing what men do at that age. Probably he was on it.
Speaker 4Shirley did ask if there's another woman and he said no, there's not. I just think we ought to try a separation and see what happens. And at this point they've been married 15 years, so this is their first separation.
Speaker 3And we all know it's no secret that, even though it may not have had a name put on it at the time, jack Cassidy suffered from different degrees of bipolar Right. So maybe he was going through one of his episodes.
Speaker 4But it wasn't diagnosed yet, right?
Speaker 3Right, exactly, it was there In the early 70s. They won't even quit what that diagnosis is like today.
Speaker 7And he probably didn't know I mean, this is talking about what's in his head again but he probably didn't understand why he felt like that.
Speaker 3Exactly that's exactly right yeah.
Speaker 4Maybe not, yeah, because he couldn't figure it either, but she said she was devastated, that she truly loved him and was happy with him.
Speaker 2Yes.
Speaker 4And after that separation they did get back together again.
Speaker 3If you looked at it in the kind of sense that those separations were probably Jack going through his down, because if you think about bipolar diseases ups and downs, and Jack went through his downs and they had their separation and you know it's kind of a shame that they didn't have the medication and the knowledge that they have today.
Speaker 7Don't you think, with them being that way, that, in a way, it made their relationship more passionate when they made up?
Speaker 4Well, yeah, she did mention that in her book. He came back and they were passionate again.
Speaker 3Yes, there you go and you know you can't, you cannot deny that heat, that passion, that they have no, and Shirley loved that with him. She loved that she loved it, so of course she welcomed him, Because whoever knew what her defense was, she just needed it. She needed that from Jack Cassidy.
Speaker 7Exactly. Haven't you ever heard the saying you can't live with them, but you can't live without them?
Speaker 4Yes, On December 11th 1976, jack called her one more time. It was Patrick's birthday in January. So they were talking about his gift, that he wanted this certain bike or whatever that he wanted.
Speaker 3So Jack said he would try to get it for him and then that next night Well, pretty much that same night, because Jack wanted Shirley to get together for a drink Right, which she turned down, she turned him down. And he said something like we had the best love story ever something I can't quote it. And she said I think about that every single day.
Speaker 4He told her I've got the Christmas tree up, so why don't you come over and have a Christmas drink with me? So she sensed that he didn't intend for them just to have a Christmas drink together. She figured it would be more, but she was seeing Marty at this time so she did not go over there. She says I can't, jack. He says you mean you don't want to. And she didn't answer him, they kind of left it at that. So yeah, but he says don't understand, mouse, we had what dreams are made of. That was the saying, that's the quote.
Speaker 4And didn't she say something like I think about that every single day? Yes, she said. Those were the last words Jack Cassidy ever spoke to me. She said I know, jack, I think about it all the time I said and I still do yeah, but I wanted to ask how did you feel that day you found out about the fire?
Speaker 3Okay, I'm glad you asked that that was.
Speaker 4December 12th 1976. Okay, I'm glad you asked that that was December 12th 1976.
Speaker 3I remember it. I remember it because for some reason, I was into Tiger Beat but John wasn't out yet. So I think the girls at school had Tiger Beat at the time. Yeah, and I was just skimming through it, I hadn't homed in on any one particular person. Yeah, and I remember, before the story was in Tiger Beat, it was on the news and everything, and I said Jack Cassidy, the Circus of the Stars, jack Cassidy, well, I thought of David because of the Partridge family. And then I thought David's dad.
Speaker 4I felt bad for David when I heard it.
Speaker 3Died in a fire. I couldn't believe that.
Speaker 4Yes, I think I saw it on the news and I was kind of heartbroken. I felt really sad, yeah, very sad. But you know what I wanted to mention? You know, at the time he passed away, shirley wrote this in her book that at least Jack had died knowing that his career was at least on the upswing, because he had been nominated for an Emmy for his role in the TV production the Andersonville Trial and he had co-starred with Paul Apprentice. I remember that name.
Speaker 3I remember that name Paula Prentiss.
Speaker 4He was in a series with her called he and she, and he finally just recently made two successful movies. I don't know if you heard of the Iger Sanction with Clint Eastwood.
Speaker 3No, I never heard of that one.
Speaker 4And there's one called WC Fields. And Me, yes, I do remember that.
Speaker 3That's the movie. I remember Jack being in.
Speaker 4Oh, okay, that's the one. Yeah, he played his idol John Barrymore.
Speaker 3Okay, drew Barrymore's grandfather.
Speaker 4Right. So then she said, the kids could at least take comfort in that Jack had died seeing his dreams of movie stardom, you know, on the verge of fruition, that this was going to be going up for him. Shirley also said that Jack had a fear of growing old. He didn't want to look old or be old.
Speaker 3So the good news is, if there isn't a lack of a better term, some sort of bright side to this tragedy. He didn't grow old, he kept those great looks, he was only 49. He was only 49.
Speaker 4Yes, yeah, only 49. But let's move on to the next husband, marty. She met Marty back in 1974. So it was the summer of 1974. Jack and her were on the verge of a divorce. She accepted intellectually, but still unable to accept it emotionally. She was depressed, she was feeling low. But then she went to this worthwhile cause. Michael Landon was having an art exhibit at his house in Beverly Hills, so yeah, so she thought she would go Little House on the Prairie Michael Landon yeah yeah, little Joe Bonanza, michael Landry.
Speaker 4But she did go to this thing and she left early and she was leaving and she walked to her car and Marty came around the bend and bumped right into her, so of course he started talking to her and everything. He's born in Brooklyn. He starred in the sitcom called I'm Dickens, he's Fenster. Did you ever hear that? Never heard of that one. I think that was with Burt Reynolds.
Speaker 3That one went right past.
Speaker 4It was like a comedy series. Okay, he did that. Yeah, he had a great sense of humor. But she knew that he had a nervous breakdown when he was on the Johnny Carson show one time.
Speaker 3I don't know what year that happened at, but she kind of had a little bit of background of him and stuff but he was funny so she liked the comedian type person. Here's the thing I remember knowing the name Marty Ingalls. It was not like who the heck is Marty Ingalls, but I never knew why. I knew Marty Ingalls. He's just one of those Hollywood names, you know Well, he was the Pac-Man voice.
Speaker 4Remember the Pac-Man.
Speaker 3Right, but I didn't know that. I just found that out right now. Okay, so how did I know? But do you remember back in the day there was Hollywood squares and all these game shows and they get celebrity, even though sometimes they were B-list celebrities? Yes, I think that's where I knew the name, marty Ingalls. He was on these game shows. Okay, like Hollywood Squares or Match Game, where they would put the celebrities on the panel to play the game.
Speaker 4Okay, All right. Yeah, I mean they all did that kind of thing back then.
Speaker 3Yeah, they went on these shows and that must be how I knew the name yeah Right shows, and that must be how I knew the name yeah right I don't know any TV shows he was in, I know.
Speaker 4And then people asked her so what does she see in this guy? Right, and she kind of gave this answer. She said both men and women adore Jack. Okay, but not as much as Jack adored himself, but Marty's. Marty's major problem was always that he didn't have any self-worth. In contrast, jack had too much.
Speaker 7Oh, so this was opposite, so she was trying something different.
Speaker 4Yeah, so this was opposite. So she said, besides, what the world doesn't see is that Marty has always taken good care of me, so he would pay attention to her, he looked into her history, he studied up on her, he gave her gifts that she would like. Her favorite color was green.
Speaker 7He was determined.
Speaker 4Yeah, he would bring her a salad. He'd bring her things to where she was on set doing different things. He would come up in a motorhome. He would drive up in an RV yeah, he would drive up in an RV. He had brought her salad and some champagne for lunch from her favorite restaurant. So he did all these things to win her over. Of course, you know giving her gifts all the time. I think I saw a picture of Christmas one time and the whole room was just gifts for Shirley.
Speaker 3Yes, yes, she was sitting on the floor next to him and they have on like this mock tuxedo or something, some funny suit, and the floor is covered with Shirley Jones Christmas gifts.
Speaker 4So he was crazy with gifts and stuff. He's always generous doing it that way. So in a sense he was kind of opposite of Jack.
Speaker 3So wasn't Marty Engels Jewish? Yeah, he was, but he's hey he didn't seem to bother her. He wanted Shirley Jones. He was going to do Christmas. Yeah, whether he did it or not.
Speaker 4Yeah, right, but he was bipolar, like Jack too, but I guess in a different sense. Yeah, but she said she was never attracted to the norm. She always wanted someone who was the opposite of her.
Speaker 7You know, but sometimes we get together with the one that we feel. What is? It makes the rest of us, you know, completes us.
Speaker 4Yes, right. So on November 13th 1977, marty and Shirley were married at Hotel Bel Air in California, and this is at the height of Sean's popularity.
Speaker 3Yes, that picture on that wedding day is all over. If you haven't seen that picture before, just Google it.
Speaker 4Sean gave his mom away, yeah.
Speaker 3Didn't you tell me, david didn't go to that wedding.
Speaker 4Yeah, I think there was already something starting to happen with Marty connecting with the kids. So yeah, I guess they separated in February 2001, her and Marty.
Family
Speaker 7So you know there's been. So how long were they married?
Speaker 4Well, actually 77?, 35 years, I think in total?
Speaker 7Oh, that's a long time yeah.
Speaker 4I think it was 35 years, but they had problems. Of course there was friction between Marty and the boys, you know, back and forth with that. So Shirley was in the middle of all of that, so she was trying to handle that and I didn't realize it was so long that they were, you know it's just amazing to me.
Speaker 3With two wackadoo husbands and trying to handle everything she had to living and working in Hollywood which in itself, from what I'm reading and hearing all my life, it's no picnic Right this woman stayed normal. Not one time you know how you read the tabloids or hear Access Hollywood or ET over the course of your life. Not once have I read or heard Shirley Jones hooked on pills or Shirley Jones in 24 clinic or Shirley Jones anything.
Speaker 4Not once. But remember she is a small town girl and she wanted to keep that. She kind of kept that.
Speaker 3A lot of them were small town people when they made it to Hollywood and it ate them alive. But Shirley Jones had this strength. I love her so much for that that strength and that wisdom, that knowledge, that stamina to take her boys and raise them to be good, honest, strong, healthy men, despite the fact that they had wackadoo role models.
Speaker 4I know, yeah, yeah, it's unfortunate, but she also writes too that it was hard for Marty to be a stepfather because he didn't have any kids Right. He didn't really know how to handle this, so it was hard for him too.
Speaker 3And by the time he moves into the picture they're old. Not old, but Sean's already 18.
Speaker 4Right, so that means Patrick and Ryan are in their teens 16 and, yeah, younger, but he did connect with Ryan though you know, I think of all the boys he connected with Ryan the most.
Speaker 3Her sons. Who are her sons?
Speaker 4Dane. Yeah, let's talk about the kids a little bit.
Speaker 7Well, of course I know a lot about Sean. He has brothersyan and patrick and of course everybody knows david. We've talked to johnny ray, yes and then, and we already talked about how much that book meant to us and to him james cagney was my babysitter and he said that he was asked about his interest instead of you know it being james cagney talking about who he was. He listened to ryan's heart and he drew that little picture and to this day ryan has that picture up on his wall. So I think that's pretty neat about ryan and what wasn't that?
Speaker 3a picture of a little leprechaun dancing. Yes and that meant so much to him. Yes.
Speaker 7And then turned it into a book. I mean, that's pretty neat on Ryan's part. So he said what he wanted to get through in that little book. What sums it all up is that just we need to all slow down and focus on the present and not be in such a hurry, you know, to look to what we're going to do in 20 years from now. Like his dad, jack was known as being one of the best designers ever, and even Shirley said that he decorated their home. Oh yeah, well, darius told me that Ryan did the decorating for the other, ruby and the Rockets. Yes, he's a set designer yep, that's his job.
Speaker 7Yeah, so he's just a natural with that and he gets that from his dad, I guess, because shirley would just let jack do most of that. And then there's patrick, and we talked about him in our last episode, where we talked about where he kicked, but yeah, that was yeah, in was funny.
Speaker 4Yeah, in the film Music man. Yeah, in the film Music man.
Speaker 3She was pregnant and he didn't know they were on the bridge scene and he did a kick and Surprise.
Speaker 4Surprise, that's Patrick. Yeah, did you know? Shirley did not even meet David until after they got married.
Speaker 3Yes, yes. Well, david didn't even know his dad was divorced until he was marrying Shirley.
Speaker 7Yeah, the kids in the neighborhood told him right, Evelyn, his mom wasn't being very nice about it.
Speaker 4Right. Well, she was upset because, of course, Jack is a philanderer and he was doing his philandering, like he always does. So he met Shirley while doing the show, but I think they were having problems anyway before he met Shirley. Evelyn claims you know that Shirley broke up the marriage, but there was problems already happening before he met Shirley.
Speaker 3Yes, and David, he was a little boy. He was all seven, six or seven, when he found out his dad was divorced. I think he was five and he just didn't know. He said he wanted with all his heart not to like Shirley.
Speaker 7He said I want it so bad not to like her, Because he's thinking of his mom. You know he's only hearing the other side.
Speaker 4I'm reading in her book and it says David came over and he was a very shy kid, very shy. She's trying to be nice to him. He's standing in the corner, she wants him to come sit down next to her and talk to him, and David wouldn't do it. Well then, david.
Speaker 4Jack got mad at him. So Jack got mad at him because he wasn't going to sit by Shirley. It was a little scuffle there. So in the beginning it was a little bit of you know rough road, but eventually he came around and would ask her questions about her career. How's it like to be in the movies? You know what about this? What? About that, and that's how they started their relationship.
Speaker 7Yeah, yeah. He couldn't help but love her.
Speaker 3And he said he just couldn't help. She was so nice. And he said she became one of his best friends, he could talk to her, he could be, he can open up.
Speaker 4Yeah, but I you know what I heard too on their wedding day. Remember hearing about this where Evelyn had made David call? Yeah, david called to ask his dad, daddy, why are you marrying somebody else? She put him up to that. She put him up to that, she did, but that didn't work because they got married anyway. Yeah.
Speaker 7So she kept saying your son needs you here, you need to come back. And finally he put his foot down.
Speaker 4Yeah, but through the years Shirley became friends with Evelyn.
Speaker 3You know, Shirley had no hard feelings with her. No.
Speaker 4It was just that you know.
Speaker 3And that's the testament to what I'm saying. The woman that Shirley Jones is, I mean, of course she's a jewel. You're the wife you want to keep your husband.
Speaker 4Well, you want to keep your husband right? Yes, Evelyn's trying to keep her husband, but Jack's doing his thing. And you know, Shirley tries to keep her husband, but Jack's doing his thing, so there's no saving him. This is just how it is.
Speaker 3So we have David, who we all know was Shirley's stepson.
Speaker 4Yes, and Sean. Sean came eight years later.
Speaker 7But what, david, did you know? When it comes to Jack, this is something huge. With Jack, he's credited with setting his son up with his first manager in 1969.
Speaker 4Then of course the boys came along.
Speaker 3And Sean was the first of those boys.
Speaker 4Sean was the first one and he liked Sean. He used to babysit him. I was reading in her book and he used to come over and he would play with him and he'd babysit him and he loved having a brother. He loved it and Sean looked up to him so much.
Speaker 7Yeah, she was afraid they would have a little bit of sibling rivalry, but it was the opposite. Yeah, it was the opposite Very very close.
Speaker 4They would have pillow fights and just have fun together, and I think David really loved coming over but she worried about that.
Speaker 3Remember Sean would say stuff in his show, like David would come over and they listen to the radio, and then David would tell him about girls. But that was the end of that story David taught him how to wear feathered hair. Yeah, I like that hair. Thank you, david.
Speaker 2Sean looked up to him so much you know.
Speaker 4And you know, when Sean became a teen idol, like Sean said, he was just the train. The train was coming. It was just him next and he was going to do it. So because his brother did it, he figured he could do it too. It's a good way to meet girls.
Speaker 3The second son she gave birth to was Patrick. Patrick came along Well, I have.
Speaker 7Patrick no-transcript. He is very special. He is that director, producer, teacher and he's an artistic director in Franklin Tennessee at Studio 10.
Speaker 3Studio 10 is his baby in Tennessee Franklin Theater they're doing real well. They are doing extraordinarily well. In fact, I just read on their social media that they had a little Rodgers and Hammerstein musical tribute to Shirley Jones for her birthday.
Speaker 7That's neat, we need to go to something like that.
Speaker 3They had it the weekend of April 8th and I'm like, oh, if I wouldn't have known, I might have tried to go for that Right.
Speaker 7Did you know that he broke his collarbone while he was playing? I guess Was it football.
Speaker 3Football? Yes, because he wanted to be a football player and I guess he was playing football and got injured.
Speaker 7Yeah, broke his collarbone, and so that sent him in the direction of where he needed to be. It goes back. You never know. Did you also know?
Speaker 4I read in the book too that Jack had visitation with Patrick one time and Patrick had this intense back pain. He had a tumor in his back.
Speaker 7Oh no, no, I didn't read that.
Speaker 4There was a tumor in his back. They rushed him to the hospital. It was non-cancerous and luckily it wasn't connected to his spine, it was just in his back. That was a very serious thing. That happened with Patrick when he was younger.
Speaker 3And Patrick the way he got into acting. His parents, or maybe Shirley, somebody told him maybe you want to go theater.
Speaker 4Yeah, he didn't want to do the same thing as.
Speaker 3David and Sean. He was not about to head on that teen idol bus. Nope, that was going to go past him.
Speaker 4He didn't want to do that. He didn't want to do that. That was gone.
Speaker 3Let's go pass him he didn't want to do that and he got into musical theater and that's where he thrived. It's acting Right. What are the TV shows on your list that he guest?
Speaker 7starred in. Well, he starred in CBS television series Dirty Dancing. Oh yeah, I remember that they had a short TV series on. Yeah, it was based on the real film. He also appeared in the film I'll Do Anything and how the West Was Fun with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, the twins. Oh yeah, the full house twins. In 1997, he had a recurring role on TV with Superman. He was with the New Adventures of Superman.
Speaker 3Oh really the one with Dean Cain. I didn't know, that Clark? Yes, oh, yeah, because I watched that show every week. Now that you mention it, yes, I remember that.
Speaker 7So yeah, he really is talented.
Speaker 3My very first impression of Patrick was he's kind. You can't be any kinder.
Speaker 4He's certainly a mother, son, right, which brings me to this. I want to read you this part in Shirley's book, when she talks about Sean being the teen idol. And she said when Sean went on to become a rock star as she put it he hated every minute of it he could sing and he liked performing, but he always loathed what came with it and she said David was the main reason Sean became a rock star.
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Speaker 4He admired David so much that he followed in his footsteps. So Sean too, had a great career as a famous rock star from 1977 to 79. And she says Ruth Ahrens was his manager. He had three platinum albums, five hit singles. And she says Ruth Aarons was his manager. He had three platinum albums, five hit singles. And she says however, despite the success he had, sean was extremely uncomfortable as a teen idol and completely immune to the glamour of being adored by millions and having a vast fan base. Sean ran away from all the attention most of the time.
Speaker 7Yeah, for a while.
Speaker 4And we knew that.
Speaker 7But he did sign that contract with Warner Brothers Records, so he had to do what he signed up for.
Speaker 4Yeah, and you know they warned him about the pitfalls too, right, but she said he just shrugged him off, saying you know he witnessed what David went through and he wouldn't fall into the same trap. So hopefully he didn't.
Speaker 3I don't think he did he didn't, and that watching what David went through was like his little learning. Yes, so he learned that he knew what not to do and what to expect and how this whole teen idol thing is going to be Right. He didn't have to just get thrown into the deep end. He had some long A brother to lean on.
Speaker 7Well, as far as Sean, in 1978, and we've talked about this before he sold over one million records, over one million. That was huge.
Speaker 3Yes, he got his gold record for that's rock and roll, I think in 1978. So I'm getting ready to tell you guys all about Shirley. After she had her boys and they're kind of grown up a little bit and she didn't have to do her musicals anymore.
Speaker 4Well, actually she said they weren't making them really much anymore. Anyway, yeah, that's true. You know, in the 60s they kind of steered away from the musical productions.
Speaker 3They were only stage productions. You couldn't get them in the theaters. Elvis had did the last singing kind of musical show in 1969 with a little thing with Mary Tyler Moore called Change of Habit. Oh, so they were pretty much done with singing in the movie.
Speaker 4So she caught it at the right time though, because you know that started her off and it was pretty big at that time.
Speaker 3Yes. So we got the movies, the musicals, but after that we all know what came after that. This little show we might have heard of it, Hmm, the Partridge Family Back in 1970. 1970. Shirley Jones decides hey, I can raise my family and work. This is going to be the best of both worlds.
Speaker 4She's been traveling this whole time with her kids.
Speaker 3She's traveling doing these plays all across the country, or across the globe actually and now she could come home, take root back in LA, do a nine to five, if you want to call it that, and go home at night and be a mom to her boys. So of course she jumps on Mrs Partridge, shirley Partridge came along and you had David Cassidy, who's also in that show. We all know the story how Shirley looks up at an audition and they look at each other. David goes what are you doing here? Shirley goes what are you doing here?
Speaker 4That's so cool, I'm playing your mama. Neither one of them knew the other had been working. Well, I think Shirley had an inkling that David was going, but David had no idea that Shirley was on it Because they had gone to Shirley beforehand and asked her hey, we've got this kid trying out. You know Jack's son. What's your relationship with him? You know, do you get along? You know they had to find that out first.
Speaker 3So Partridge family's from 1970 to 1974. 1970, 74. We had a singing family based on the Cowsills and it was a hit. We all know that story. It just catapulted David Cassidy into just super, super, super stuff.
Speaker 4And this was all blindsided. Nobody knew this was coming, David it happened so fast though?
Speaker 7Yes, Right.
Speaker 3So the Parkridge family gave Shirley Jones good you know, good stability. She could stay home. Patrick Ryan and that other one.
Speaker 4Who's that other guy, sean, that other brother. You know, you know that kid that we never think about've heard of him a time or two.
Speaker 3We never think about him. We only have a podcast about him. She can stay home and take care of them. And Sean's getting a little older. He wants to dip his foot into the singing and everything.
Speaker 4He was on the set. I think he visited the set the most of the boys. Yes, I think so On the Partridge family set.
Speaker 3If you Google it and find on YouTube, there's a whole reel of Blue Partridge family blooper reels and he walks right into her seat. She said what are you doing in my seat?
Speaker 7Yes, he felt comfortable. Already he was comfortable.
Speaker 4And that was good for him because that helped him later on when he had his party boy show. Yes, it did.
Speaker 3Yeah, helped him later on when he had his Party Boys show yes, it did, and the Partridge family. We had a whole episode. If you guys want to go back, we have an entire episode dedicated to the Partridge family that you can listen to. But then that ended in 1974. And Shirley went on in 1979, nbc offered her another sitcom, yeah, which I didn't even see. It was very short-lived. It came on and it only had a half a season. It was canceled in the middle of its first season. Okay, it was called Shirley.
Speaker 3I have a couple of fun facts about that show. Like I said, it was on in 1979 only for a half a season. It kind of had a Brady Bunch feel to it. There was Shirley the name of the show was Shirley. She had three kids and a stepson. Three kids and a stepson Well, we all know the Bradys were all steps, so that was a little bit of a Brady Bunch feel. And they had a housekeeper so they all moved and packed up and she was a widowed mom. So I was picking up this old Brady Bunch family vibe.
Speaker 4There's another theme to the shows back then.
Speaker 3Well, mom like the Brady, like Carol Brady, three kids like Carol Brady. Stepson like Carol Brady had three, but she had one, a housekeeper like the Brady. So I'm like, well, come on, all you need is a bus.
Speaker 4But it said they made 13 episodes. So only 13 episodes of that show, only half of a season.
Speaker 3Shirley sang the opening theme song for Shirley and the stars of the show. I wanted to make a quick point because I recognize two of the names Tracy Gold. Growing.
Speaker 3Pains, and the other one that I recognized was Rosanna Arquette. Rosanna Arquette, we all know that, david Arquette and Patricia Arquette, the Arquettes, the whole family, the whole Arquette family. So I was like, oh, I didn't know they had a connection to that show. Yeah, so they kind of remember. We were talking in one episode how these people had their beginning on these little TV shows. Yeah, people had their beginning on these little TV shows. That's where the Arquette family had a beginning Rosanna and the show.
Speaker 4Shirley. But did you know that Shirley wasn't made aware that they canceled it? Oh, she was pretty mad at the producer because she showed up and then it was. They said it was canceled.
Speaker 3Oh, that's kind of like Nobody told her. Like how Danny said they went driving to the lot on the Partridge family he and his mom and the guy at the gate said, well, the Partridge family doesn't live here anymore. How?
Speaker 4does that happen? Don't you tell everybody on your cast that you're done? You would think Well, that's confusing to me, like, why would you not tell them not to come to work tomorrow? Yeah, that's a hard hit If my job closed down. They would tell me hey, we're closed.
Speaker 3Read it in the trade magazines your show was canceled. No, you need to be telling me this stuff.
Speaker 7Well, you need to get a letter Nowadays you have to have a legal letter.
Speaker 4It says in her book there's no warning, there's nothing, not a single word from Fred Silverman. So she and Marty were having dinner at a Beverly Hills hotel one time and she saw him and she let him have it. Good, and I believe it. She yelled at him because nobody warned her that they were canceling, which I guess is well, she has a right.
Speaker 3So then after Shirley, she had a little guest appearance on this show called Drew Carey Show. Oh yeah, I remember her on there. Yeah, she played his older woman girlfriend named Celia. He played his older woman girlfriend named Celia, and she did a cameo on that 70s show in 2000 where she reprised the role of Shirley Partridge. So there she was on that. And then she had some other guest starring roles on TV.
Speaker 3But she went on in 2004 and worked with her son Patrick in Broadway. Yes, and they did a revival of 42nd Street, and that was the very first time a mother and a son starred together on Broadway. I wish I could have seen it. That's sweet. Another Emmy nomination role in 2006, she did for a supporting role in a TV movie called Hidden Places and she also was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award, but she lost that to Helen Mirren. But my favorite favorite role was in 2006. She played and I would love to see this. I never saw the movie, but she played a nymphomaniac senior citizen in a movie called Grandma's Boy. Oh, my goodness, a nymphomaniac senior citizen, yeah. So I'm going to just quickly go through the rest of her roles, okay, and then I want to wrap it up talking about her awards. So in 07, she came and, dame, you'll get a kick out of this. She went to the Ford City in Oklahoma City and she performed during the.
Speaker 3Centennial Spectacular Concert celebrating. Oklahoma's 100th birthday, while I'm living right here, not knowing, on November 16, 2007.
Speaker 7That breaks my heart because I could have been there.
Speaker 3She sang on stage.
Speaker 4People will say we're in love and Oklahoma at that, which we just had in our previous episode and Oklahoma at that, which we just had in our previous episode.
Speaker 3In 2012, she worked with Patrick again in California in the musical theater revival of the Music man, and this time she was Mrs Peru she was the mom this time, oh, okay, yes, and Patrick was Harold Hill. He was the music man, and then she did some TV shows, got starred in the General Hospital, which I never saw I was in General Hospital In 2014,.
Speaker 3She got starred as Mrs McClain, but then Shirley Jones. For all of this work in TV and theater, movies, the big screen she had some accolades, and one of her biggest accolades, the very biggest one, was her 1961 Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Yep we all know role?
Speaker 3Yep, we all know. But did you know? In 1995 she had a Cable Ace Award nomination for the MTV Awards. Oh, so the Cable Ace people gave her a nomination for being on the MTV Awards. And then in 98 she had a nomination for Outstanding Service Show Host for AMC's Family Classic. So the AMC channel had a show called Family Classic. She got her nomination for that.
Speaker 32010,. She was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama for the Cleaner. In 2006, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a miniseries called the Hit and Places. And in 1970, she was nominated Outstanding Single Performance by an actress in a leading role for Silent Night, lonely Night. She has some Golden Globe nominees. In the 70s she had some Golden Globe nominees in the 70s. And in 1961, I didn't know she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for Elmer Gantry. Oh, she had other nominations throughout her career and she just had tons of them. I could keep going. But the biggest thing that I like, she got her Hollywood star. Oh, she got her Hollywood Walk of Fame star, right near Hollywood and Vine, nice. So the list goes on and on with her nominees for primetime Emmys movie supporting role, movie guest starring, all kinds of things like that. Nice, shirley Jones is probably one of my favorite actresses.
Speaker 4Yeah, me too. She's still down to earth. Like you said, her whole life she maintained that non-Hollywood star quality. She didn't want to really be on that level, she wanted to be responsible Humble down to earth.
Speaker 7Right our quality?
Speaker 3She didn't want to really be on that level. She wanted to be responsible Down to earth. I have had the fine pleasure of meeting all of the Cassidys except for Ryan. Except for Ryan and Shirley Jones, meeting her twice Once she was here in Chicago doing the Oklahoma special anniversary screening and the last time you and I were together.
Speaker 4Yes, we saw her in Franklin.
Speaker 3And she was so nice. Even though she was smaller, more fragile, a little frail, she was still so nice and so kind.
Speaker 4She attended Sean's benefit concert at Patrick's Theater. Yes, in Franklin's Theater. Yes, in Franklin. Yes, yes.
Speaker 7Well, she was right down the road here and I didn't even know it.
Speaker 4Yeah, yeah. And in her book you know nowadays she lives in Big Bear, california. I guess it's a cabin home up in the mountains. And in her book it says one of her greatest pleasures nowadays is to sit on the deck of her main house at 5 pm with a martini in one hand and a box of chocolates in the other and talks to the coyotes. So she really loves being in nature now.
Speaker 7And the kids go there to visit her, they say that that's one of her biggest loves is the animals Right.
Speaker 4She's always been connected to animals, always had pets, so she's still a veterinarian at heart.
Speaker 7Veterinarian at heart. Yes, that explains it.
Speaker 3You're right, and that is probably the best way to end this beautiful tribute to Shirley Jones, and now that she's 90 years old. Yeah, picturing her with her martini. What a great life Sitting on yeah, still having martinis On the deck of her beautiful home.
Speaker 4She had a picture, or Sean posted a picture of her 90-year-old. Happy birthday, sash, with a little martini pin.
Speaker 7Shirley had an amazing group of boys, an amazing love story and she's still going strong and she's just as beautiful as she ever was.
Speaker 4Happy birthday, Shirley, from all of us at the Sean Squad Society.
Speaker 3We all wish you nothing but health and happiness, Shirley small town girl makes good on Broadway and in Hollywood.
Speaker 1This is America. This is your life, Shirley Jones.
Speaker 2Mrs Jack Cassidy. Thank you, Shirley Jones. Mrs Jack Cassidy. Thank you, Shirley.
Speaker 4Thank you from the bottom of our teen dream hearts. Keep on crushing. Always believe in magic.
Speaker 7And have a peaceful, shuntastic week, and don't forget to follow us on Facebook, instagram Thread and subscribe to our new YouTube page make sure to keep in touch with us at our email SeanSquadSociety at gmailcom the SeanSquadSociety podcast, including past, present and future versions, and its contents are owned and controlled by the SeanSquadSociety.
Speaker 4The podcast is written, produced and recorded at the Borden Studios and the views and opinions are solely those of the Sean Squad Society podcast. We may think we are always right, but we may get things wrong from time to time, so we assume no responsibility for errors of submission of content.