How David Cassidy Changed His Life With A Rolling Stone Cover

It’s not every day that a lunchbox image turns into a headline. But on May 11, 1972, David Cassidy did just that. The face many teens knew from The Partridge Family lunch boxes made a loud and clear statement that he was done playing the teen idol game. And he did it with a photo that left very little to the imagination.

Cassidy, then in his early 20s, had just launched his solo music career. Tired of being seen only as the dreamy Keith Partridge, he wanted the world to know there was more to him than charm and TV fame. So he teamed up with Rolling Stone and photographer Annie Leibovitz for a photo shoot that shocked fans and changed the way people saw him forever.

David Cassidy’s nearly nude photo made a bold statement

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On the May 11 cover of Rolling Stone, Cassidy appeared nearly nude, photographed in a raw, confident pose. The issue included a bold headline which read: “Naked Lunch Box” a reference to the school supplies that carried his image just a year before. But this wasn’t about school crushes anymore. This was Cassidy stepping into adulthood in front of millions.

In the interview, he opened up about his life beyond the camera: drugs, fame, pressure, and the need to break out of the image others had created for him. It was risky, but it worked. The world started to see him as more than just a pop culture poster boy. He became an example for other stars who wanted to move on from their child or teen roles.

david Cassidy rolling stone cover — POPSTAR, David Cassidy, 2005, (c) Warner Brothers/courtesy Everett Collection

David Cassidy went from being a teen idol to an adult

Cassidy didn’t stop with the magazine cover. After Cherish, his debut album, he released Rock Me Baby, which was a shift from bubblegum pop to something with more edge and soul. He kept making music, dropping 12 studio albums in total, continuing into the 2000s.