There have been many teen idols over the years, from Ricky Nelson to McFly, but precious few have made it as big as David Cassidy.

At his peak he boasted more fan-club members than the Beatles and Elvis Presley combined and the millions of singles and albums that he sold were almost a sideline to an all-embracing merchandise machine of Beckhamesque proportions.

It’s more than 30 years since he walked away from that phase of his career and established himself as an across-the-board entertainer, triumphing in the West End and on Broadway and smashing records in Las Vegas.

Finish Reading A Partidge in a rare treat .