“April Love” actress Shirley Jones turns 89 today! Her life was somewhat turbulent; she first fell in love with a married man before meeting her stepson who also happened to be her TV son and nearly ruined her wedding.
She is satisfied that her three sons have grown into excellent citizens and that she can now spoil her thirteen grandchildren.
“Carousel” actress Shirley Jones and her ex-husband Jack Cassidy had a remarkable 19-year marriage. Still, in order to have such a great and long-lasting marriage, they had to overcome numerous obstacles, including Cassidy’s adultery.
Alongside Jones, Cassidy was selected to appear in the 1955 State Department European tour of the Rogers and Hammerstein musical “Oklahoma!” Jones was just 21 years old when they first met. According to Jones’ book “Shirley Jones: A Memoir,” Cassidy had captivating blue eyes and white-blond hair that made him incredibly attractive.
Her small-town upbringing and lack of experience in the outside world didn’t help her, but he became her tutor, teaching her everything there was to know about everything with his charisma and world charm.
Every night as they practiced for the show, they sang the theme song “People Will Say We’re in Love” and looked into each other’s eyes. Slowly but surely, their sexual chemistry began to ignite a spark that soon erupted into a full-fledged fire.
Their relationship was forbidden because Cassidy was still married to his wife, actress and dancer Evelyn Ward from “New Girl in Town.” Exotically beautiful and wild, Ward married Cassidy in 1948 and welcomed David into his family in 1950.
But there was a report that their marriage was miserable. Cause? Cassidy was a true gentleman who left her repeatedly. The news Jones heard should have been enough to send him running for the hills. Still, she hung on every word Cassidy spoke to her, hoping against all odds that his love was genuine.
On their first night in Paris, where they were to play a musical, Cassidy called Jones and asked for a date. They arrived fine. He insisted even after she told him he was married. They were having a great time at the Eiffel Tower until Jones stepped back and told her well-thought-out jokes that made her laugh.
They then returned to their hotel room on the Left Bank of Paris. As they approached her door, he leaned down, kissed her cheek, and declared, “I will marry you.” Knowing all too well that he was still married, Jones appeared confused by the statement and assured her that he would file for divorce on her behalf.
In a small Roman hotel the night after they played their game, Cassidy made love to Jones. Jones said it was the first time and that he had never walked the entire route with anyone else before. Cassidy felt like the right man and always wanted to spend her first love experience with the perfect man.
When he told her he was running out of money while checking out of the hotel, he was taken aback that she happily paid his bill.
She didn’t think twice about it, although the $350 seemed excessive considering they had just gone on one date.
Jones eventually left Paris after getting a call from Rodgers & Hammerstein producers who wanted her to star in “Carousel.” She spent nine months filming the movie in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, but during that time Cassidy contacted her every day until he informed her that Ward was divorced.
After she returned, they performed a play in a small theater on the Harvard campus in Massachusetts. Cassidy promised Jones they would get married while he was there, and on August 6, 1956, they did.
After Jones became pregnant and her agent convinced her to have an abortion because her career was just taking off, the couple hit their first major hurdle. She remembers the doctor telling her to go home, prop up her legs, and rest, and that she was healthy and would be fine after the treatment.
After the event, Cassidy was pleasant and comforting, but Jones claimed she felt emotionally vulnerable. She also promised to start a family and get pregnant as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, she had to deal with David, Cassidy’s son, and things didn’t go well there.
David longed to despise his “wicked stepmother.”
Even though they were divorced, Ward’s love for Cassidy was so great that she did not take his advances too well. She wasn’t going to let go lightly, and when she agreed to the divorce, she wasn’t ready for him to remarry so soon.
Her goal was to make Cassidy feel bad about getting divorced and marrying someone else. The intention was for her seven-year-old son David to call his father and ask him about his future intentions.
Ward called Cassidy on the day of Jones and Cassidy’s wedding rehearsal, stating that he needed to talk to David. After she put David on the phone, the young man asked his father:
“Dad, what are you doing?” “Why do you want to marry someone else?”
Startled, Cassidy stuttered out what to say, abruptly changed the subject, and then hung up. However, that was just the beginning.
Ward was determined to succeed in her second attempt to destroy her ex-husband’s new marriage, which took place the night before the wedding.
She calls Cassidy and says that Cassidy needs to get on a plane to New Jersey and explain this to her son in person because David is freaking out about his father’s second marriage.
Despite his complaints, Cassidy had his priorities right. He defied Ward, determined not to leave his wife. He informed her that he would not be going to New Jersey and that he would have to help David understand the reason for his father’s second marriage.
Despite Ward’s attempts to portray Jones as an adversary, Jones was aware that she was not the cause of Cassidy and Ward’s marriage dissolution. Before Jones entered Cassidy’s life, the couple had split up twice and their marriage was still struggling when they got back together.
Cassidy realized that to get his marriage to Jones off the ground, he had to take the bull by the horns. He quickly arranged for his new wife and son to meet, even though he was well aware that Ward had already given David the impression that she was a terrible stepmother.
Intent on reversing Ward’s plan to destroy David’s impression of his stepmother, Cassidy hastily arranged a meeting between David and Jones.
When David first arrived at their house, Jones was struck by how adorable the boy was. Although she longed to have him, David’s fear and aloofness were understandable given the impression his mother had made of her.
They were sitting on the couch in the living room when she asked David to sit with her so they could talk. David defied them by shaking his head.
Jones pulled Cassidy aside when he got mad at David and explained that it was normal for David to feel the way he did.
But even after dinner, David was itching to get home, so Cassidy took him back to his mother’s house. Jones thought that David hated her after their first meeting. It was years before she realized that wasn’t the case after David said the following about her:
“I was about six or seven years old when I first saw her, and her level of fame didn’t impress me. I warmed to her quickly, even though I wanted to despise her.”
In addition to continuing to act together, Cassidy and Jones had three sons: Shaun, Patrick, and Ryan. Their performance on the field, where pairs hated working together as a team, impressed Jones.
Unfortunately, Jones subsequently admitted that she would not have divorced him if he had not asked. Their divorce was finalized in 1975. Jones thought Cassidy’s desire to end the marriage had a lot to do with the surprising popularity of “The Patridge Family.”
He broke it to her at the restaurant, telling her that he still loved her but that they would have to spend some time apart. But soon after, he seemed to regret his choice and wanted her back. She wanted him too.
Unfortunately, it was too late to rekindle their fading flame.
Cassidy invited Jones to his home in West Hollywood, California for cocktails on December 11, 1976, but she turned him down. And he lit a cigarette and went to bed the next morning. His house caught fire, his cigarette fell on the couch, and he was never seen again. After being burned, his bones were scattered throughout the Pacific Ocean.
Jones went on to marry comedian and actor Marty Ingels on November 13, 1977 but later admitted that while she loved Ingels and their special bond, she would not have tied the knot if Cassidy had not died.
Jones and David developed a close friendship and even starred as mother and son in “The Patridge Family” long before Jones found new love and her ex-husband died.
This friendship lasted long after Cassidy died. According to Jones, their relationship was wonderful and David even visited her home to help her with the children.
In addition to their extraordinary connection, David found Jones to be a kind, honest, sweet, and decent person. He looked up at her and the strange way she interacted with everyone on set.
David was always honest with his father, who raised him extremely. He believes Cassidy struggled to deal with his son’s stardom once he became famous with “The Partridge Family,” but is always happy to let him work hard on the role.
But the worst was Cassidy and Jones’ divorce. All David got from his father was resentment, even though he wanted him to be proud of him. But Jones filled the void, turning into the on-screen and off-screen parent David needed.
Jones is 89 years old!
For many years, the son and the stepmother had a beautiful connection. David once said that he got along well with his stepmother and stepbrothers. Unfortunately, in the years leading up to his death, he began to distance himself from other family members.
Jones told Closer Weekly in 2015 that they were extremely concerned about David because his alcoholism had caused him to withdraw from society. David revealed his dementia diagnosis in February 2017, yet was not surprised that the disease runs in his family.
His liver and kidneys failed, and on November 18, 2017, he was placed in a medically induced coma and taken to hospital in critical condition. He came out of his coma two days later and appeared stable, but sadly passed away suddenly on November 21st. He was sixty-seven years old.
Deeply saddened by the death, Jones gave a moving eulogy to her stepson, saying she will always cherish the years they spent working together and developing. Knowing that he had joined his father gave her comfort.
She understood that David’s son Beau, daughter Katie, and half-brothers would be very sad without him, so they felt sorry for them.
Jones is 89 today and has lived an interesting life. Her family, which she claims always comes first, is what she is most proud of, although she enjoys her work immensely.
Jones is delighted to have raised three wonderful children, whom she describes as remarkable men of character and achievement despite being an only child. Notable credits include writing and producing ‘American Gothic’, ‘Roar’, and ‘Invasion’. Shaun is also an actor, singer, producer and writer.
Actor Patrick Sutherland, who is known for his roles in Castle, “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” and “Smallville,” also adopted his parents’ last name. As an actor, Ryan, the youngest of the Cassidy brothers, has appeared in films such as ‘The Facts of Life’, ‘Family Game’ and ‘Paradise’.
Jones is a devoted grandmother to her 13 grandchildren and a devoted mother to her sons. “I also like to spend time with my grandchildren.” As an only child, I find it incredible to have such a big family. Because the present is all we really have, you must cherish it, advises the speaker.
Shirley Jones, now 89, has lived a life full of both triumphs and trials. From her early career and tumultuous relationship with Jack Cassidy to her enduring legacy as a beloved actress and devoted mother and grandmother, Jones’ journey is a testament to resilience and love. Her 19-year marriage to Cassidy was marked by infidelity and challenges, yet she accepted the role of David Cassidy’s stepmother despite initial difficulties with grace.
Jones’ commitment to her family was the cornerstone of her life. She has raised three successful sons – Shaun, Patrick, and Ryan – and enjoys watching them forge their own successful paths in the entertainment industry. The role of grandmother to thirteen grandchildren brings her immense joy and she cherishes every moment with her extended family.
Despite personal struggles and heartbreaks, including her divorce from Cassidy and the tragic loss of David, Jones remains a pillar of strength and a beloved figure in Hollywood. Her ability to find comfort and joy in her family while reflecting on her career and the relationships that have shaped her life underscores the depth of her character and enduring spirit. Even on his 89th birthday, Jones continues to be a source of inspiration and a symbol of grace and resilience.