The Partridge Family star Shirley Jones turned 90 this Easter and celebrated the milestone with her three children and grandchildren.
Her sons Shaun Cassidy, 65, Patrick Cassidy, 62, and Ryan Cassidy, 58, whisked her off to a luxury mountain resort to celebrate the occasion.
One night before the big day, Shirley enjoyed a party where she was decked out in a beauty queen tiara and sash that read: ’90 & Fabulous.’
She reunited with her children for a touching photo, which brought back memories of The Partridge Family’s catchphrase: ‘Come on, be happy!’
Shaun proudly posted the photo to his Instagram the next day and wrote: ‘Happy 90th birthday to Miss Pittsburgh! What an incredible night!
The Partridge Family star Shirley Jones turned 90 this Easter and celebrated with her sons (from left) Patrick Cassidy, 62, Shaun Cassidy, 65, and Ryan Cassidy, 58.
Shirley (center) appears in a 1972 publicity photograph with (from left) Jeremy Gelbwaks, Danny Bonaduce, Suzanne Crough, David Cassidy and Susan Dey.
The caption was a reference to the fact that Shirley was crowned Miss Pittsburgh in 1952 at the age of 18, launching her career in show business.
She started out as a Broadway chorus girl working for Rodgers and Hammerstein, the writing and production team behind musicals like The Sound Of Music.
From there, he landed the lead role in the 1955 film Oklahoma!, the Rodgers and Hammerstein show that had taken Broadway by storm more than a decade earlier.
Although she played mostly good girl roles in musical films such as Carousel and The Music Man, she won her Oscar playing against type in the 1960 drama Elmer Gantry.
In that film, she played Lulu, a minister’s daughter who turns to prostitution after being seduced and abandoned by a con artist played by Burt Lancaster.
However, her most famous role was as a widowed mother of seven in The Partridge Family, the ’70s sitcom that became emblematic of its decade.
One of her children was played by her real-life stepson, David Cassidy, who died of liver failure at age 67 in 2017 after battling a drinking problem.
Shirley had her three biological children with David’s father, Jack Cassidy, a Broadway star known for his silky, deep voice and irresistible softness.
One of his first roles was in the 1955 film Oklahoma!, the Rodgers and Hammerstein show that had revolutionized Broadway more than a decade earlier; Pictured with Gordon Mcrae.
She won her Oscar for Elmer Gantry, playing a minister’s daughter who turns to prostitution after being seduced and abandoned by a con artist played by Burt Lancaster.
One of her children on The Partridge Family was played by her real-life stepson, David Cassidy, who died of liver failure at age 67 in 2017; the couple is photographed in 1972
She was just 20 when she met Jack, whom she described as her ‘svengali’ and to whom she remained married for 18 years.
They enjoyed an electric chemistry in the bedroom, helped by what she described as her “highly sexed” nature which made it easy for her to have orgasms, as well as the fact that Jack was, according to her, magnificently endowed.
Jack was a bisexual who once had a relationship with Broadway composer Cole Porter, and urged Shirley to “experience it all” sexually.
The couple frequently appeared on stage together and collaborated on eight albums, but off stage their marriage eventually fell apart.
Jack, a bipolar alcoholic, had trouble coping with the fact that Shirley’s fame and success eclipsed his during his years on The Partridge Family.
“I mean, he was my knight in shining armor, he was the love of my life,” Shirley said. ABC. “I was the breadwinner and it was very difficult for him.”
They divorced in 1974, and the following year he suffered a gruesome death after falling asleep on the couch with a cigarette in his hand and setting fire to their attic.
Just hours before the tragic incident, Shirley had turned down an invitation to meet him at his apartment for a drink.
Shirley had her three biological children with David’s father, Jack Cassidy, a Broadway star known for his silky, deep voice and irresistible softness; in the photo 1959
Shirley later enjoyed a long marriage to agent and ‘celebrity broker’ Marty Ingels from 1977 until his death in 2015 from a stroke at age 79.
However, she maintained her feelings for Jack, later commenting that he “wanted to come back (to me) until the day he died.” And I wanted it. That’s the terrible part.
She confessed: “As much as I love Marty and have a wonderful relationship, I would say this with Marty sitting here, I’m not sure that if Jack were alive, I would be married to Marty.”
Her television career continued through the decades, from an Emmy-nominated performance in the Hallmark movie Hidden Places to a recurring stint on The Drew Carey Show and a performance on Days Of Our Lives.
About a decade ago, Katie Couric asked Shirley what her secret was to staying young and was stunned by her frank response: ‘Masturbation! Sex keeps you young no matter what. The feeling it gives you makes you keep going.
