When We're Singin'

Happy Birthday, David.....and THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

1970s, 70s Music, David Cassidy, Partridge Family, Partridge Family TV ShowJohn MillerComment

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID...and Thanks! Today is David Cassidy's 67th Birthday. And if you think that's old, then think about how old we are as fans! ha! Here are a few shots backstage with David and the book at his Feb. 18th concert. Hey, David--a million times a billion thank-yous for your support.  And above all....happy, happy Birthday! 

BOOK SIGNING WITH HALF PRICE BOOKS, MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, OH!

1970s, 70s Music, Partridge Family, David CassidyJohn MillerComment

Hey friends, exciting news... I'll be doing several book signings for "When We're Singin' "  in the coming months with national book store chains including Barnes & Noble and Half Price Books! The first one on the schedule is at Half Price Books in Mayfield Heights, OH on Saturday, April 22, from 1-3PM. If you've never been, check it out! The store specializes in books AND music, with shelves and shelves of books, CD's and vinyl on their shelves! Hope to see some of you that day! Exact address: Half Price Books, 1607 Golden Gate Plaza, Mayfield Heights, Ohio, 44124. More to come as the bus rolls out of the winter ice into the spring mud! :)

Half Price Books, Mayfield Heights, Ohio

Half Price Books, Mayfield Heights, Ohio

Cleveland Libraries now Stock "When We're Singin'"!

John MillerComment

Hey CLEVELAND AND AKRON FRIENDS!...The Geauga County Library has purchased copies of "When We're Singin'" for all of their branches, and I'll be doing full presentations and book signings at the Geauga, Bainbridge and Chardon locations next fall! Will keep you posted when the specific dates are set...Meanwhile, I'll have more book signing dates to announce for this spring very soon! The bus keeps crusin'....

Chardon, Ohio location

Chardon, Ohio location

BOOK SIGNING at MUSIC TO MY EAR, Pittsburgh, PA, March 4, 2017!

John MillerComment

Hey Pittsburghers and Ohio friends...! I'll be at MUSIC TO MY EAR tomorrow, Saturday March 4 from 10-5PM doing a book signing for WHEN WE'RE SINGIN' and I'd love to see some of you! MUSIC TO MY EAR is the premiere store in Pittsburgh for high end audio equipment, PLUS they have over 12,000 vinyl records in the store! Yes...that's right...VINYL! As part of the special event, they are offering 20% off all records and CD's tomorrow, as well! The address is: 3003 Babcock Blvd.Pittsburgh, PA 15237. Check out their link below, too. Very cool store....They even have PARTRIDGE FAMILY albums in their bins!! Who doesn't love that? Right?? :)

Here's the direct link to the website. Check it out! http://musictomyear.com/

David Cassidy reveals his battle with Dementia, today on Dr. Phil

John Miller1 Comment
David Cassidy on Dr. Phil, March 1, 2017. (See link below. This is only a photo).

David Cassidy on Dr. Phil, March 1, 2017. (See link below. This is only a photo).

Dear Friends and fans, attached is the link for David Cassidy's appearance today on Dr. Phil.

As most everyone knows by now, David has come forward publicly about his new challenge: the diagnosis of early onset dementia. The show is bittersweet and the situation heart-wrenching. David Cassidy defined my generation growing up in the '70s as the definitive teen idol, and broke out from the Partridge Family to record more than 20 solo albums over his near 50-year musical career. His fan club was bigger than the Beatles and Elvis combined, and many of his stadium concert records set during the early '70s still hold today.

His dementia diagnosis is tragic, but his public expression and openness about it, heroic. He is first and foremost a man. A human being with a struggle. What a rocky road it is through this life to deal with being a human being, you know? Let's wish for his best, pray for his best, and show gratitude for the gift he has given us as an artist and a comfort. Our hearts also go out to his family. They will have their own horrific battle to deal with. His friends, bandmates, and everyone who cares about him will need support. The ugliness of this disease radiates out to all of us who have had or will have someone we love deal with it.

It's a sensitive subject for me. Both my parents died of it. My aunt is having her funeral service today because of it. It's everywhere. Hard to accept that David Cassidy, my musical hero who was almost somehow part of my own family, is now facing it. Does it ever end? The answer is no. At least, not until the medical field can beat it.

When a TV celebrity with whom we are attached comes forward like this it somehow brings a little bit of peace reminding us that we are all human together. No amount of fame or money can bail us out. We only have each other, right? Let's fight these diseases with a united front, in any small way we can.

Thanks, David, for the music, the good times, the openness of your bad times, and the sentimentality you have shown towards your very devout fan base all through the years. David's closing wishes from this very painful episode will speak to his legacy forever, and what he is all about. If you watch nothing else, watch that part. Even if you are not a fan, you will be touched.

David Cassidy at the Canyon Club, Agoura Hills, CA, February 18, 2017.

David Cassidy at the Canyon Club, Agoura Hills, CA, February 18, 2017.

Happy Trails right back at you, David. You make us happy.

http://www.drphil.com/shows/duis-and-dementia-inside-david-cassidys-secret-troubles/

New PODCAST INTERVIEW! Debuts TODAY on iTunes, "Reading With Robin"

John MillerComment

I did an interview yesterday with Robin Homonoff of "Reading With Robin," based in Rhode Island, where David Cassidy plans on making his second to last concert performance this Friday night at the Odeum. She's a David fan, and we had a great conversation. She has made it available today, on iTunes! (free!) Please check it out. You can also hear it directly from her website here: https://robinkall.com/2017/02/28/when-were-singin-the-partridge-family-and-their-music-by-johnny-ray-miller/

From her website:

Where are my Partridge Family fans?
Here is today's podcast with When We're Singin''s Johnny Ray Miller! You can subscribe to the Reading With Robin podcast on ...iTunes (and subscribe for free!) If you aren't on iTunes the interview is also up on my site - www.readingwithrobin.com John and I had a blast and you'll be right back on your old 1970's sofa when you give a listen. Enjoy and thank you to Howley Bread Group a Franchisee of Panera Bread for their support of RWR!
If you are a fan you MUST have this book - it can be ordered on When We're Singin'

Book Signings at Sheraton Hotel, Agoura Hills, CA on weekend of Cassidy concerts!

Cassidy Concerts, David Cassidy, David Cassidy Concerts, Partridge FamilyJohn MillerComment
David Cassidy scheduled for concerts at The Canyon Club, Agoura Hills CA and The Grenada Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA.

David Cassidy scheduled for concerts at The Canyon Club, Agoura Hills CA and The Grenada Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA.

I will be doing a book signing at the Sheraton Hotel in Agoura Hills CA this weekend during the two days of Cassidy concerts scheduled for The Canyon Club on the 18th and Santa Barbara on the 19th.  Two days of signings will be held at the Sheraton--February 18, 2-4PM and February 19, 11-2PM. The Full address and location: Sheraton Hotel, 30100 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills, CA 91301. Room 228. Hope to see some of you!

A new AD from MUSIC TO MY EAR, Pittsburgh Audio Store makes WHEN WE'RE SINGIN' available!

John MillerComment

Hey Pittsburghers, audiophiles and vinyl collectors! Love to see you stop by MUSIC TO MY EAR sometime--they've put together a great ad for WHEN WE'RE SINGIN'!  Check it out! And most importantly, you'll find copies of the book there at the checkout counter!  Check 'em out!

IN PRAISE OF THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY - a feature story in the Vindicator!

70s Music, Cassidy Concerts, Celebrity Photos, Danny Bonaduce, David Cassidy, Partridge Family, Shirley Jones, Susan Dey, Suzanne Crough, Brian ForsterJohn MillerComment

A couple weeks ago, I appeared on Youngstown's WFMJ Midday news with anchor Jennifer Brindisi. Immediately afterword, I was called by the Vindicator, who wanted to put together a feature story on the book. The article ran today. Here's a scan of the hard copy, and I've also included the full article from the online version as well. Here's the link: http://bit.ly/2kIh3tq

vindy article scan 2.jpg

NEW INTERVIEW: on 474themix Radio - Where The Music Matters!

John MillerComment

A BRAND NEW INTERVIEW SCHEDULED! Dennis Morgillo, radio personality and DJ on 474THEMIX RADIO - WHERE THE MUSIC MATTERS, is having me on as a guest for a special radio show and interview about the book and the music of The Partridge Family! Please tune in, everyone! Your support would mean the world to me :) The show will air next Friday, February 3 at 5PM EST on 474themix.com!  HERE'S THE LINK: http://www.474themix.com/

MORE RETAIL AVAILABILITY-Bradley's Books!

John MillerComment
Location pictured, Pittsburgh Mills.

Location pictured, Pittsburgh Mills.

Hey all, more retail availability: BRADLEY'S BOOK OUTLET, a Pittsburgh based book store with several locations in and around the Pittsburgh area is also now carrying a limited supply of "When We're Singin' " in their various locations including Pittsburgh Mills, Altoona, Dubois, Uniontown and State College.

Danny Tweets Again! "Come On Get Happy"

70s Music, 1970s, Danny Bonaduce, David Cassidy, Partridge Family, Partridge Family Music, Shirley Jones, Susan Dey, Suzanne Crough, Wrecking CrewJohn MillerComment

Hey Gang! Danny's on a roll! His Latest tweet: "Brought my lunch to work in this today. What the hell? Come on Get Happy!" 

Celebrating a TV and Music legacy...Spread the word..WhenWereSingin.com! Follow Danny on Twitter @theDoochMan. Follow David Cassidy on Twitter @DavidbCassidy! 

Everyone on the bus! :)

Northeast Ohio News Herald Publishes interview on Dec. 29, 2016

John MillerComment

Northeast Ohio man uses Kickstarter to fund book on ‘Partridge Family’ show, band

 

By Breanna Mona

Johnny Ray Miller of Canton is the author of “When We’re Singin’ — The Partridge Family & Their Music.”

“The Partridge Family” not only dominated the TV scene in the 1970s, but the music charts, as well, with some of the biggest names in music behind the albums.

After booking a concert for David Cassidy in 2009, Johnny Ray Miller, a Northeast Ohio native and Partridge Family fan, saw the need for a comprehensive and carefully researched book. So he penned “When We’re Singin’ — The Partridge Family & Their Music,” which is available at www.whenweresingin.com.

The Huffington Post has already tipped its hat to the new book, acknowledging Miller’s “ridiculous drive to achieve what no one else was able to concerning this much maligned/beloved fictitious musical family.”

Miller, who lives in Canton, not only created a book with the fans in mind — he is one himself, after all — but landed interviews with the cast members and even a foreword by David Cassidy himself.

The book also reads like a guide to the music of the 1970s in general, making it not only a nostalgic trip for fans of Cassidy and the show, but also a comprehensive look at the era for music fans. Research aside, putting together a book like this with no prior experience was no easy feat. Miller shares his story on what it took to bring the book to life.

Q Is this a tell-all book?

A It’s definitely not a tell-all book. It’s a book that focuses on the music of The Partridge Family. It’s a story that’s never been told before — very few people realize (that) because it’s always been the television show that gets all the attention. The stories about the actors have been told several times on “Biography” and made-for-TV specials. But nobody ever touches the music.

Q What will readers be surprised to learn about the music?

A The interesting story about the music is that it was done by the greatest musicians and songwriters of the day, but it was sold and glossed over underneath a marketing image that was geared towards kids and the bubblegum (culture). But really it’s rooted in adult-contemporary/easy listening of its day. Songwriters like Paul Anka and Rupert Holmes and David Cassidy himself wrote songs for “The Partridge Family.” Bobby Hart who produced the Monkees wrote songs for “The Partridge Family.” Cashman and West were producing Jim Croce at that time were writing songs for “The Partridge Family,” too. Wes Farrell was the producer of the music and was really connected in the business. One of his greatest gifts was to recognize talented people and get them on board. He knew how to spot a hit.

Q Do you cover aspects about the TV show, as well?

A I do cover (in the book) all of “The Partridge Family” TV show stuff, too. Stories from the cast about being on the set. I’m a fan, so I didn’t want a tell-all book. I wanted something that was a tribute to the show but with a really strong focus on the music. I do talk about their relationships to one another, and I did interview them. I put in the fun behind the scenes stories but no tell-all type stuff. (Cast members) gave it to me, but I left it out.

Q How did you get started on the book?

A Shirley Jones was my very first interview. In fact, my background is in theater. What happened was, I was working in theater and I booked David Cassidy for a concert in 2009, and the show was phenomenally successful. After it was all over I thought, “Hmm, the fans have always wanted a book on “The Partridge Family.” There’s never been one. There was an episode guide in the ’90s. but that’s all it was. I knew if I could get Shirley Jones on board, I felt like David Cassidy would be in my corner, too. Long story short, I got her on board and I went to Hollywood and spent an afternoon in her house. It was a dream come true. With that, the doors started opening.

Q Which cast members did you interview?

A Shirley Jones asked me if I had talked to David yet, and I hadn’t. I wanted to approach him last, after everything was together towards the end. So I interviewed Shirley Jones, Danny Bonaduce, Brian Forster, Suzanne Crough, Dave Madden, then the first kid to play Chris, Jeremy Gelbwaks. I actually had the last in-depth interviews with Dave Madden and Suzanne Crough before they passed away. Suzanne Crough actually died very young; she was only 52 years old. She kind of became a friend of mine through this process.

Q How did David Cassidy eventually come into the picture?

A With David Cassidy — this is actually a funny story — I approached him kind of towards the end, and I went through his publicist. At first, I simply could not get passed his publicist. I eventually thought this wasn’t going to happen. I had already had a lot of support at this point, with people in the music business and everyone (encouraging) me that it would be a good book even without interviewing him. In the back of my head, I knew an interview from him would be a great endorsement, but I also knew a forward would mean more to the fans before he had never done one before. But to have him would give the book so much credibility. I thought to myself that if he wrote a forward, it would be even better. I didn’t ask for the forward. I spent five years on (the book), so a year or two later he gets a new publicist so I contacted her. David had a lot going on at the time and our conversation just never happened. Then one day, out of the blue, I hear from the manger of his website, and she says David would like to write a forward — and I didn’t even ask! I always joke with my friends that nothing in my life ever goes right, but this book did. Everything about this has just unfolded like it was completely meant to be. So that’s how it happened. He has never written a forward for any other book, so I feel incredibly privileged.

Q Why did you decide to self-publish?

A Ken Sharp, an author who has written several books on the Beatles, Elvis, the Raspberries, etc., suggested I self-publish and create a Kickstarter campaign to fund the book saying, “The demand from the fans for something like this is going to be pretty huge.” The deal with Kickstarter is you set a goal and you have to raise all of it or you get none of it and you have 30 days to do it. I needed $24,000 to publish this book. We raised $27,000 and had hit our goal three days before the end.

Q So you could say this book was funded by die-hard “Partridge Family” fans then?

A I don’t know of any other TV show where a book like this has been funded because fans had wanted it so badly.

Q Where did you get your research for the book?

A I did most of my research at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. I wanted to find the chart positions, not only from Billboard but Cashbox and Record World, which were trade magazines of that era. They’re really hard to find. The Rock Hall had every single issue of Cashbox between 1970 and 1974, which were the years that I needed. I would go up there [Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives] once a week for over a year, spending four hours at the library at a time, and I flipped through every single page of every single issue of Cashbox from that era. Then on top of that, I got permission from the owner of Cashbox, who actually donated her copies to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to include any and everything I wanted from Cashbox in the book. So I have photos that have never before been seen, all kinds of charting information and articles with information that “Partridge Family” fans don’t even know about. When I ran the Kickstarter campaign, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame even backed it.

Q For someone who would pick up the book not being familiar with “The Partridge Family,” what are you hoping will be their take-away?

A That the music was very, very good. It was right up there with all of the adult contemporary music of the day. In fact, it charted higher on the easy-listening charts than it did on the pop charts. The marketing image was so powerful that it actually colored the perception of the music. But the music was in fact the marketing image that sold the records. So while it was disregarded as bubblegum music, 45 years later you look back and you listen to it and you realize that it’s some of the best adult contemporary music of its day.

Q What do you think keeps the show’s continuing nostalgia?

A I don’t think you could sell something with such innocence today. It’s the innocence [of the show] that makes the nostalgia precious. I think we all have something from our childhood that we latch onto that serves as an escape for us when we need to get away from the craziness of today’s world. We like to reflect back on whatever that innocence was of that time in our childhood. For a ton of us out there that innocence was “The Partridge Family.”

DANNY BONADUCE Tweets support today for WHEN WE'RE SINGIN'!!

Brian Forster, 70s Music, David Cassidy, Partridge Family, Wrecking Crew, Danny Bonaduce, Shirley Jones, Susan DeyJohn MillerComment

Hey gang!

DANNY BONADUCE tweeted this pic, along with a great comment about the book!

Read his tweet: "Just received my copy of a great new book about The Partridge Family. It's 467 pages. I had no idea we were this important."

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER, EVERYONE! TWEET, RE-TWEET AND SPREAD THE NEWS!!! :) Come on get REALLY happy!!!