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Danny Bonaduce

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Danny Bonaduce
Bonaduce in 2017
Born
Dante Daniel Bonaduce

(1959-08-13) August 13, 1959 (age 65)
Broomall, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • radio personality
  • television personality
  • professional wrestler
Years active1967–2023
Known forThe Partridge Family
Spouses
  • Setsuko Hattori
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1985; div. 1988)​
  • Gretchen Hillmer
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1990; div. 2007)​
  • Amy Railsback
    ​
    (m. 2010)​
Children2

Dante Daniel Bonaduce (/ˈbɒnəˈduːtʃiː/; born August 13, 1959) is an American retired radio personality, actor, television personality, and professional wrestler. Bonaduce is the son of veteran TV writer and producer Joseph Bonaduce (The Dick Van Dyke Show, One Day at a Time, and others).

Bonaduce became famous as a child actor of the 1970s on the TV sitcom The Partridge Family. He co-starred as Danny Partridge, the wisecracking, redheaded middle son of the singing family band (headed by Shirley Jones), and he portrayed the fictional pop group's bass guitar player.[1] Since then, Bonaduce has starred in several other TV series, including the VH1 reality show Breaking Bonaduce in 2005, has done radio shows in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, and has hosted a morning talk/music show at Seattle radio station KZOK-FM from 2011 to 2023.[2]

Early life

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By his own account, Bonaduce grew up in a dysfunctional family and suffered severe physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father, TV writer and producer Joseph Bonaduce. Joseph and his mother Betty divorced in 1972.[3]

Career

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Acting

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Bonaduce as Danny Partridge on the comedy series The Partridge Family, 1970
The Partridge Family, season 1. L-R: Shirley Jones, Jeremy Gelbwaks, Suzanne Crough, Susan Dey, Danny Bonaduce and David Cassidy

Bonaduce made a small appearance in the Bewitched season 5 episode "Going Ape", which aired on February 27, 1969, as a young boy in the park whose chimpanzee follows Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) and Tabitha (Erin Murphy) home.[4]

Bonaduce had a substantial role on The Ghost & Mrs. Muir on the first-season episode Jonathan Tells It Like It Was, aired March 1, 1969. He played competitor Danny Shoemaker in a history essay contest with Mrs. Muir's son Jonathan. Danny's father Joseph Bonaduce wrote the episode.

In The Partridge Family Bonaduce played the role of Danny Partridge, a member of the musical Partridge family.[5] In the show, the Partridges were a family band that toured the country in their hip, Mondrian-inspired, painted school bus. Danny Partridge played bass guitar for the band and his younger siblings, Tracy and Chris, contributed to the band as percussionists. The series ran for four seasons, from 1970 to 1974 and, in 2003, Bonaduce was honored by the Young Artist Foundation with its Former Child Star "Lifetime Achievement" Award for his role on the series.[6] He also voiced Danny in the 1974 Saturday morning cartoon Partridge Family 2200 A.D.

Bonaduce made several movies during and after the run of The Partridge Family, including Corvette Summer (1978) starring Mark Hamill.[5] Hamill and Bonaduce played high school students who went in search of a stolen customized Corvette Stingray. Bonaduce also made guest appearances on several TV shows, including the television action drama CHiPs.[5] His career withered in the early 1980s.

Bonaduce and Partridge Family co-star Dave Madden made cameo appearances in a 1994 episode of Married... with Children. That same year, he appeared on an episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast. He has also guest-starred in the first two episodes of the seventh season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and as the son of Shirley Jones's character in the fourth season of The Drew Carey Show. Bonaduce has appeared as himself on the detective series Monk[5] and on the show Girlfriends. Bonaduce guest-starred with J. D. Roth (with whom he would later reunite for Breaking Bonaduce) on a celebrity episode of Sex Wars. In 1999, Bonaduce appeared in the Christmas episode, "Sabrina, Nipping at Your Nose", of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.

During his radio work, Bonaduce was the host of the segment "Bonaduce's Buzz" as part of WMAQ-TV's morning newscast First Thing in The Morning with Art Norman and Allison Rosati in 1994; but he left the station the following year to concentrate on his syndicated talk show.

During the 1995–96 TV season, Bonaduce was the host of Danny!, a syndicated talk show featuring the house band The Critics.[5]

From 2001 to 2003, Bonaduce co-hosted The Other Half, a daytime talk show positioned as a complementary show to The View, on which he starred with Mario Lopez, Dick Clark, and cosmetic surgeon Dr. Jan Adams (who was later replaced by actor Dorian Gregory). During this time, he was also a Hollywood correspondent for the Australian morning show Today.

In 2005, Bonaduce starred in Breaking Bonaduce a VH1 reality show about his turbulent life with his wife Gretchen.[5]

In 2006, he had a recurring role in the crime scene drama CSI as a character known as Izzy Delancy – a once great, but philandering, rock star, the victim of the infamous miniature killer. He also hosted the short-lived tabloid-themed game show Starface, on Game Show Network. In 2007, Bonaduce was both host and judge of the show I Know My Kid's a Star, a reality show on VH1 featuring parents and children trying to break into show business. He also appeared as a judge on the Australian version of the show, My Kid's a Star.

Bonaduce, admitting his own less-than-stellar track record, was a commentator for TruTV's TruTV Presents: World's Dumbest... from 2008 to 2013.

Radio and music

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Bonaduce's self-titled debut LP was released in 1973 by Lion Records, a subsidiary label of MGM Records. The single from the album, "Dreamland" was a minor hit.[7][8]

In the late 1980s, Bonaduce had become an on-air radio personality. He worked an overnight shift at Philadelphia's WEGX-FM. From 1994 to 1996, Bonaduce hosted his own radio show, The Danny Bonaduce Show on The Loop WLUP in Chicago. Between 1996 and 1998, Bonaduce hosted a morning radio show in Detroit on WKQI with comedian and Last Comic Standing winner John Heffron. In 1998 Bonaduce was the morning show host for New York City's Big 105 WBIX for a brief period.

Bonaduce was part of The Adam Carolla Show in 2007. In 2008 he was given a daily one-hour solo spot known as Broadcasting Bonaduce, which was broadcast locally on the L.A.-based KLSX station. In February 2009, it was announced that the station had changed its format from talk to Top 40, and the removal of Broadcasting Bonaduce from the KLSX schedule was confirmed.

Bonaduce is an ordained minister; he was ordained online in order to perform a wedding ceremony as part of a 94WYSP radio promotion in early 2011.[9]

Bonaduce co-hosted the morning-drive show for Seattle radio station 102.5 KZOK beginning on November 14, 2011.[10] Bonaduce came to Seattle from a radio stint at 94 WYSP in Philadelphia, following a format change from classic rock to all sports radio in September 2011. On April 29, 2022, Bonaduce announced that he was taking a temporary medical leave from his Seattle radio show to pursue treatment for an undisclosed illness.[11] In December 2023, Bonaduce announced that December 15 would be his last day on the air.[12]

Altercation with Jonny Fairplay

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On October 2, 2007, Bonaduce was involved in an altercation with Survivor show participant Jonny Fairplay during the Fox Reality Awards. Toward the end of the awards show, Fairplay appeared onstage and was booed by the audience. Bonaduce walked on stage and explained that the audience reaction was "because they hate you." Bonaduce was walking off the stage as Fairplay called him back. Fairplay then jumped on Bonaduce to hug him and Bonaduce stated later that he was uncomfortable with Fairplay's hands near his throat. Bonaduce, a black belt in Tang Soo Do, adjusted his balance and grip, and threw Fairplay over his head. Fairplay fell to the floor, face first, unable to halt his fall with his hands due to the microphone he was holding. Fairplay stood up after a few moments and staggered before slowly walking off stage, his back to the audience. Bonaduce then smiled and proceeded to make faces and exaggerated shrugging motions at the audience before walking off stage.[13]

Bonaduce later said the two had never had any negative interactions before that incident, but that they had met occasionally in the past. He said he had never liked Fairplay, mostly because Fairplay, true to his form, had lied about his grandmother's death during his first run on Survivor. While Bonaduce did not believe Fairplay was significantly hurt at the time, TMZ.com confirmed that Fairplay bled significantly, lost some teeth and suffered a broken toe.[14] Fairplay pressed charges, and a felony battery investigation was opened by the police. On October 5, 2007, the L.A. District Attorney's office concluded that there was insufficient evidence to prove Bonaduce had committed battery, because the contact had been initiated by Fairplay and Bonaduce had acted in self-defense.[15]

Boxing and wrestling

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As an adult, Bonaduce boxed Donny Osmond and former Brady Barry Williams in separate charity events. Bonaduce won both fights, gaining a decision over Osmond and a TKO over Williams. On June 11, 2007, it was announced that Bonaduce would box attorney Robert Shapiro for a charitable event.[16]

On September 13, 2008, Bonaduce defeated "Reverend" Bob Levy by a TKO in the second one-minute round of a planned three-round fight. Prior to the event, Levy had slapped Bonaduce while visiting Bonaduce's dressing room.[17]

It was announced in early January 2009 that Bonaduce would box retired baseball player José Canseco at a charity event in the Philadelphia area. Bonaduce reportedly trained for the fight in Sacramento, California with boxer Angelo Núñez. On January 24, 2009, Bonaduce and Canseco fought to a majority draw.[18][19]

In April 1994, it was announced that Bonaduce would be making his professional wrestling debut in a "dark match" at the Spring Stampede in Chicago. On April 17, 1994, Bonaduce stepped into the ring at the Rosemont Horizon. His opponent was another 1970s TV star, the Brady Bunch's Christopher Knight. Bonaduce won. Bonaduce had his second professional wrestling match at Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's pay-per-view event Lockdown 2009 against Eric Young, which he lost.[20] Bonaduce was a key player in the series Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling.[21]

Writing

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In 2002, Bonaduce released an autobiography, Random Acts of Badness.[22]

Personal life

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Bonaduce has a black belt in karate.[23][24][25]

Bonaduce married his first wife, Setsuko Hattori in 1985, and they divorced in 1988.

On November 4, 1990, Bonaduce met second wife Gretchen Hillmer on a blind date and, on a whim, they married the same day. Despite the unusual start to the marriage, the two remained married for over sixteen years and had two children together. On April 9, 2007, the two divorced, citing irreconcilable differences.[26]

Bonaduce began dating his current wife, Amy Railsback, in April 2007. They met at a Starbucks in the Los Angeles area. Railsback, who is 23 years his junior, is a former substitute school teacher. She now manages Bonaduce's career full-time, runs Gravel Tones Productions Inc, and is occasionally seen in sketches on The Smoking Gun Presents: World's Dumbest... on truTV. He proposed to Amy in March 2009, and the couple married on November 22, 2010, at the Four Seasons on Maui, Hawaii. They maintain homes in both Los Angeles and in Seattle.[27]

Bonaduce and David Cassidy, his The Partridge Family costar, remained close friends until Cassidy's death on November 21, 2017. On January 20, 2018, Bonaduce attended Cassidy's memorial service in Los Angeles.[28] Bonaduce also met actress Shirley Jones on the set of The Partridge Family. Jones often allowed Bonaduce to stay at her home in order to avoid his difficult home life.[29] According to Jones, Bonaduce was "smart" and "talented" but a troublemaker off-camera, who "was still a kid and would do kid things like get a dish of food and throw it across the room or have a pillow fight".[30] Bonaduce later commented that "Shirley Jones could not have been kinder to me".[31]

Arrests

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On March 9, 1990, he was arrested while attempting to buy cocaine in Daytona Beach, Florida. Bonaduce was there to host an event for D.A.R.E., an anti-drug campaign aimed at children.[32] Bonaduce was eventually fired from WEGX.[33] He later became the morning shift DJ at KKFR-FM in Phoenix, Arizona.

On March 31, 1991, Bonaduce was arrested in Phoenix for beating and robbing Darius Barney, a transgender sex worker; "authorities said the victim suffered a broken nose and a cut to his face."[34] Soon after, he was fired from KKFR. In July of the same year, Bonaduce pleaded guilty to reduced charges. Amongst his punishments, he was required to pay Barney's medical bills.[35] Later that same year, Bonaduce returned to WEGX in Philadelphia.[36]

Political views

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Bonaduce has expressed his mostly conservative political views during guest appearances. He is a strong supporter of capital punishment and a strong military. Several controversial statements have been made by Bonaduce regarding left-wing or liberal celebrities, such as his remarks that Jane Fonda should have been executed for treason for her support of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War.[37] He also stated on MSNBC's Scarborough Country that "personally I think at this point if anyone had a rope thick enough, I think that Rosie should be strung up for treason", referring to Rosie O'Donnell.[38]

Health

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In June 2023, Bonaduce announced that he would be undergoing hydrocephalus-related surgery after experiencing difficulty walking and maintaining his balance.[39][40]

Retirement

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In December 2023, Bonaduce announced his retirement from Seattle radio, and his planned relocation to Palm Springs, California.[41]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1969 The Fight George Short Film
1973 Charlotte's Web Avery Arable (voice)
1976 Baker's Hawk Robertson
1978 Corvette Summer Kootz
1978 Born Again First Male Student
1979 H.O.T.S. Richie Walker
1985 Deadly Intruder John
1993 America's Deadliest Home Video Doug Direct-to-video; credited as Dante Daniel Bonaduce
2003 Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star Self
2005 Lil' Pimp Ugly Midget (voice) Direct-to-video
2006 Dr. Dolittle 3 Ranch Steer (voice) Direct-to-video
2009 PWU: 5th Anniversary Show Dewey Bonaduce Direct-to-video
2009 The Jerk Theory Self

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1967 Accidental Family Danny Episode: "Halloween's on Us"
1967 The Second Hundred Years Small Boy Episode: "Luke's First Christmas"
1969 The Ghost & Mrs. Muir Danny Shoemaker Episode: "Jonathan Tells It Like It Was"
1969 Mayberry R.F.D. Rick / Danny / Boy 3 episodes
1969 Bewitched Robert / Boy 2 episodes
1969–1970 My World and Welcome to It Leonard / 2nd Boy 2 episodes
1970 The Good Guys Stevie Episode: "Deep Are the Roots"
1970–1974 The Partridge Family Danny Partridge Main cast; 96 episodes
1972 Call Holme Boy TV movie
1972 Invitation to a March Cary Brown TV movie
1973 Goober and the Ghost Chasers Danny Partridge (voice) 8 episodes
1974 Partridge Family 2200 A.D. Danny Partridge (voice) Main cast; 16 episodes
1975 Shazam! Paul Episode: "Speak No Evil"
1975 Police Story Joey Episode: "The Empty Wagon"
1975 Murder on Flight 502 Millard Kensington TV movie
1977–1978 Fred Flintstone and Friends Danny Partridge (voice) 95 episodes
1978 Eight Is Enough Jimbo O'Hara Episode: "A Hair of the Dog"
1978 Fantasy Island Hot Rod Episode: "Let the Good Times Roll/Nightmare/The Tiger"
1978 CBS Afternoon Playhouse Sukie 5 episodes
1978–1983 CHiPs Billy Rogers / Myron Handelbaum / Fred 4 episodes
1979 California Fever Larry Episode: "The Good Life"
1988 Rags to Riches Vince Episode: "Guess Who's Coming to Slumber?"
1992 The Ben Stiller Show Self Episode: "With Dennis Miller"
1994 Married... with Children Surveyor Episode: "How Green Was My Apple"
1996–1997 Biography Narrator (voice) 2 episodes
1996 Boston Common Gordon Episode: "The Finals Curtain"
1998 The Drew Carey Show Chip Episode: "Drew's Holiday Punch"
1998–2001 That '70s Show Ricky 2 episodes
1999 Pacific Blue Johnny Osiris Episode: "Stargazer"
1999 Diagnosis: Murder GBS Executive Episode: "Trash TV: Part 2"
1999 Come On, Get Happy: The Partridge Family Story Narrator (voice) TV movie
1999 Sabrina the Teenage Witch Self Episode: "Sabrina, Nipping at Your Nose"
2000 The Amanda Show Blockblister customer/Mr. McOliver Episodes: Episode 14 and Episode 15
2001–2003 The Other Half Co-Host 2 episodes; uncredited
2001 The Weakest Link Himself Classic TV Stars Edition
2002 Girlfriends Self Episode: "Taming of the Realtess"
2002 The Rerun Show Danny Partridge Episode: "Diff'rent Strokes: The Rivals/The Partridge Family: Keith and Lauriebelle"
2002 Ozzy & Drix Smirch (voice) Episode: "Street Up"
2003 Monk Self Episode: "Mr. Monk Meets the Playboy"
2003 Rock Me, Baby Self Episode: "A Pain in the Aspen"
2004 The Nanny Reunion: A Nosh to Remember Himself TV special guest star
2005 The New Partridge Family Mr. Partridge TV movie
2005 Less Than Perfect Ron Episode: "Playhouse"
2006 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Izzy Delancey 3 episodes
2006 Starface Himself (Host) Game show
2008 truTV Presents: World's Dumbest... Self 170 episodes
2009 TNA Xplosion Self Episode: "TNA Xplosion #243"
2012 Bigfoot Harley Anderson TV movie
2013 The (206) Episode: "Episode #2.1"
2019 The Kids Are Alright Boris / Danny Partridge Episode: "Low Expectations"
2019 How It Really Happened Himself Episode: "David Cassidy: Fatal Secret"

References

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  1. ^ Karlinsky, Malia (May 22, 2018). "Danny Bonaduce: From 'The Partridge Family' to a Peaceful Life in Seattle". Seattle Refined. Retrieved April 10, 2020.
  2. ^ "Danny Bonaduce retiring from KZOK Seattle's Classic Rock Station". Yahoo News. December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  3. ^ Bonaduce, Danny (November 1, 2002). Random Acts of Badness. Hyperion. p. 432. ISBN 0-7868-9047-9.
  4. ^ "BEWITCHED Season 5 Episode Descriptions". www.bewitched.net.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Danny Bonaduce". TVGuide.com. TV Guide. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  6. ^ "24th Annual Young Artist Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org. Archived from the original on September 7, 2014. Retrieved 2011-03-31.
  7. ^ "Dreamland (Danny Bonaduce)". 45cat.com. Lion Records. January 1973.
  8. ^ "Blueberry You/Dreamland (Danny Bonaduce)". Discogs. Lion Records. 1972.
  9. ^ "A Dream Wedding, Courtesy of Danny Bonaduce". Moorestown, NJ Patch. February 24, 2011. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013.
  10. ^ Rolph, Amy (October 31, 2011). "Partridge Family's Danny Bonaduce to host Seattle radio show". Seattle's Big Blog. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
  11. ^ "MSN". MSN. May 2, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  12. ^ Phair, Vonnai (December 11, 2023). "Seattle radio host announces retirement". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 17, 2023.
  13. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Danny Bonaduce and Jonny Fairplay Brawl at Really Awards". May 26, 2009 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ "Bonaduce Bloodies 'Survivor' Star". TMZ.
  15. ^ "Charge Evaluation Worksheet" (PDF). Los Angeles County District Attorney. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 4, 2012. Retrieved October 5, 2007.
  16. ^ "Podcast of The Adam Carolla Show describing Bonaduce's boxing match with Robert Shapiro". Archived from the original on March 24, 2009.
  17. ^ "Rev. Bob Levy slaps Danny Bonaduce | 03/18/2008". Philly.com. March 18, 2008. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
  18. ^ "Bonaduce Makes Sacramento His Training Ground". Archived from the original on January 27, 2012.
  19. ^ "Canseco, Bonaduce fight to draw". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. January 25, 2009. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved January 30, 2014. The 6-foot-4 Canseco jolted the 5-6 Bonaduce a couple of times in round 1 and a couple more in round 3.
  20. ^ Caldwell, James (April 19, 2009). "CALDWELL'S TNA LOCKDOWN PPV REPORT 4/19: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of all-cage PPV – Sting vs. Foley". PWTorch. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  21. ^ Stephens, David (March 12, 2009). "That's a Wrap #5". PWTorch. Retrieved March 10, 2010.
  22. ^ Bonaduce, Danny (2001). Random acts of badness : my story (1st ed.). New York: Hyperion. ISBN 0786867221.
  23. ^ "The Partridge Family Tree," SPIN, Sep 1990, p. 68
  24. ^ "Trivia".
  25. ^ "SI Players, June 9, 2008 Update". Sports Illustrated Vault | Si.com.
  26. ^ Lynch, Rene (April 11, 2007). "Bonaduce is getting a divorce". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  27. ^ "Danny Bonaduce Is Engaged - Us Weekly". Us Weekly. March 23, 2009.
  28. ^ "David Cassidy on Danny Bonaduce". Huffington Post. December 25, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
  29. ^ "Bonaduce, the perpetual comeback kid". azdailysun.com. August 5, 2006. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  30. ^ Nguyen, Vi-An (July 29, 2013). "7 Surprising Secrets of The Partridge Family Cast from Shirley Jones's Memoir". Parade: Entertainment, Recipes, Health, Life, Holidays. Parade.com. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  31. ^ "Highlights of a live chat with Danny Bonaduce". Seattletimes.com. May 2, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
  32. ^ "After Arrest, Bonaduce Off The Air Indefinitely". Philly.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016.
  33. ^ Logan, Joe. "IT'S AU REVOIR TO BONADUCE AND RAYMOND". The Philadelphia Inquirer. No. June 4, 1990. Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. p. D06.
  34. ^ "FORMER CHILD STAR ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY BEATING TRANSVESTITE PROSTITUTE". AP. April 1, 1991. Archived from the original on April 1, 2017.
  35. ^ "BONADUCE PLEADS GUILTY". DeseretNews.com. July 21, 1991.
  36. ^ Logan, Joe. "DANNY BONADUCE SIGNS ON AT EAGLE 106". The Philadelphia Inquirer. No. October 21, 1991. Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. p. E06.
  37. ^ "FoxNews.com". Fox News. January 30, 2007. Archived from the original on May 30, 2007. Retrieved February 13, 2008.
  38. ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine
  39. ^ "Danny Bonduce undergoing brain surgery for hydrocephalus". Chicago Tribune. June 2, 2023.
  40. ^ "Danny Bonaduce to Undergo Brain Surgery for Neurological Disorder: 'Bummed Out If This Doesn't Work'". MSN. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  41. ^ "Seattle morning radio host Danny Bonaduce announces retirement". KIRO 7 News Seattle. December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.

Further reading

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  • Dye, David. Child and Youth Actors: Filmography of Their Entire Careers, 1914–1985. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1988, p. 23.
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