Shirley Jones

Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934 in Charleroi, Pennsylvania of Welsh descent) is a singer and actress, perhaps best known for her starring role as "Shirley Partridge", the widowed mother of 5 children, in the television series The Partridge Family, in which, ironically she played the mother of David Cassidy, who was her real-life stepson.

Related Topics:
March 31 - 1934 - Charleroi, Pennsylvania - Singer - Actress - Television - The Partridge Family - David Cassidy

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An only child, she was named after Shirley Temple. She won a beauty pageant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a teenager.

Related Topics:
Shirley Temple - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Before The Partridge Family, Shirley had already achieved fame as a singer and actress. She starred in many films, including the highly successful musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, and The Music Man. In a rare "naughty girl" role, she won an Academy Award as a prostitute corrupted by Burt Lancaster, who then takes revenge upon him in Elmer Gantry.

Related Topics:
The Partridge Family - Oklahoma! - Carousel - The Music Man - Academy Award - Burt Lancaster - Elmer Gantry

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She married actor Jack Cassidy on August 5, 1956, with whom she had 3 sons, Shaun, Patrick and Ryan; David Cassidy became her stepson. Shirley and David both starred in The Partridge Family. Divorcing Cassidy, she married one-time comic Marty Ingels on November 13, 1977. Despite several separations (she filed then withdrew a divorce petition in 2002) and amazingly different personalities, they remain married.

Related Topics:
Jack Cassidy - August 5 - 1956 - Shaun - David Cassidy - Marty Ingels - November 13 - 1977

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Although best known for her movie and television roles, Shirley has an impressive stage résumé, including the musical Maggie Flynn on Broadway and a stellar turn in a rare revival of Noel Coward's operetta Bitter Sweet at the Long Beach Civic Light Opera in 1983. In 2004, Shirley returned to Broadway in a revival of 42nd Street, portraying diva "Dorothy Brock" (played by Bebe Daniels in the 1933 movie), opposite her son, Patrick Cassidy, the first known time a mother and son starred together on Broadway. In July 2005, Shirley revisited the musical Carousel onstage in Massachusetts portraying Cousin Nettie.

Related Topics:
Maggie Flynn - Noel Coward - Bitter Sweet - 42nd Street - Bebe Daniels - Carousel

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She is a registered Republican who appeared at the 1988 Republican Convention and sang the National Anthem. She also sang at the 2003 Christmas Tree Lighting in Washington, D.C., at George W. Bush's request.

Related Topics:
Republican - 1988 - 2003 - Christmas Tree Lighting - Washington, D.C. - George W. Bush

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