When We're Singin'

Chatting with Jennifer Runyon on "The Haunted Chronicles" Friday, November 30, 8PM on Paramaniaradio.com!

70s Music, David Cassidy, Shirley Jones, Wrecking CrewJohn MillerComment
Chatting with Jennifer Runyon, “The Haunted Chronicles” Friday, November 30 at 8PM EST! Tune in to Paramaniaradio.com!

Chatting with Jennifer Runyon, “The Haunted Chronicles” Friday, November 30 at 8PM EST! Tune in to Paramaniaradio.com!

I’ll be chatting with Jennifer Runyon about WHEN WE’RE SINGIN’ this Friday, November 30, 2018 on her show “The Haunted Chronicles” airing on Paramaniaradio.com.

So how do the “The Haunted Chronicles” and “The Partridge Family” go together?

When I met Jennifer last summer, she was shocked to find out I had never seen “Ghostbusters.” Let the jokes begin, right? So she challenged me to come on her show and take a quiz after I watch the movie. This Friday I’ll take my quiz!

How does “The Partridge Family” fit into this? Well….she picked up a copy of my book, having been a fan of the Partridge Family music, and she loved it. She has plugged the book on both her shows, “The In Crowd” and “The Haunted Chronicles” several times! Thanks a million times ten million, Jennifer!!

Maybe I’ll quiz her on The Partridge Family! What do you think? Things that make you go hmmm. ;)

In Memory of David Cassidy on the First Anniversary of his Passing, November 21, 2018

John MillerComment

I have always believed that David Cassidy is the most underrated vocalist of the 1970’s. I feel that he should be remembered with as much respect and in the same vein as Rod Stewart, Elton John, Billy Joel, and you name it—any other artist who has walked away with a certain kind of musical integrity that defined that decade.

One of David Cassidy's greatest albums -- "Home Is Where The Heart Is," 1976. RCA. In loving memory, on this first anniversary of his passing.

One of David Cassidy's greatest albums -- "Home Is Where The Heart Is," 1976. RCA. In loving memory, on this first anniversary of his passing.

While we all know David’s break came through The Partridge Family and the adoration of his very young fans, his talent still deserved the same amount of respect from critics, and he did not get that. He has an extraordinary fan base that has lived on for over 45 years.

David was certainly the greatest teen idol of all time, but for me he will always be the greatest voice of a generation. It was a voice that expressed complexity, intimacy, vulnerability and the unique ability to communicate through his music as though he were right in the room with you. He left an indelible impression that has lasted a lifetime for so many of us.

I miss him and I am so grateful for his influence on my own life, and all of our lives. Godspeed. Johnny Ray Miller

Teaming up with Henry Diltz for the Next Hollywood Show! Oct 19, 20, 21

John MillerComment

Proud to announce that When We’re Singin’, L.L.C. and Henry Diltz Photography will be working as a partnership to offer a limited number of SIGNED Henry Diltz photos of David Cassidy which will be available at our table during the Hollywood Show this October 19th, 20th and 21st!

Diltz and Cassidy grew close during The Partridge Family years, and as a result some of the greatest photos of Cassidy ever taken—certainly the most iconic—were shot by Henry Diltz.

There will be a dozen different shots to choose from all signed by Henry, including photos of Cassidy in concert, at home, on the set of the Partridge Family, and other locations! They are being offered in limited quantity, so be sure to get there early!

Look forward to seeing some of you!

Wow…that bus just keeps on a-rollin’, doesn’t it? :)

Peace in Saratoga Springs

John MillerComment

David's ashes were spread among the land of horses, horse breeding and horse racing in Saratoga Springs, NY this past weekend on September 1, 2018. It was a part of his life he felt very close to. Peace and love to him and to all his family. 

Ken Sharp's New LP includes PF/DC Tribute Music

John MillerComment

Ken Sharp, who you all know and love as a big Partridge Family/David Cassidy fan and good friend to WHEN WE'RE SINGIN' has released a new CD titled BEAUTY IN THE BACKSEAT. Ken's tribute to David, "I Wanna Be David Cassidy" is included on the LP along with a song titled "24 Hours A Day" inspired by the Partridge Family song of the same name, though not a cover tune. 

Ace Frehley (KISS) and John Hall (HALL & OATS) are both guest musicians on the LP as well. Hope you will all check it out. Thanks Ken, for more great music to make the world go 'round. :)

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http://ken-sharp.com/

Partridge Family/David Cassidy Musical Tribute, tonight, WBWC "Island Time Radio"!

70s Music, 1970s, Wrecking CrewJohn MillerComment

This evening (Monday night 6/25) I will be in the studio at WBWC with DJ Dennis King on his weekly "Island Time Radio Show" in tribute to the music of David Cassidy and The Partridge Family. The show is live on WBWC.com or through the Tune in app (search WBWC) @ 10 PM eastern time Monday night.The show runs from 10 PM to 1 AM and there will be encores on four other stations. http://itrshow.com/ 

R.I.P. Paul Junger Witt, Partridge Family Producer

70s MusicJohn MillerComment

Dear Friends, a few weeks ago we lost yet another family member from our world of all things Partridge.  It's sad yet bittersweet as we move forward in life having to accept the realities of aging and the passing of time. Paul Junger Witt was an accomplished producer. He brought us great shows such as The Golden Girls, Beauty and The Beast, and Soap to name just a few. The Partridge Family was part of his early years establishing himself as a reputable producer under the guidance of Executive Producer Bob Claver. They were great friends, and he credited The Partridge Family as one of his greatest moments and strongest influences on the latter part of his career.  

When we spoke he was quick to share that the Mondrian influence serving as the model for the bus design was his idea! He was a lover of artwork by Piet Mondrian. 

Paul Witt was a very professional guy, who chose his words with careful thought. He was especially proud of the Partridge Family episode titled "Soul Club" (guest-starring Richard Pryor and Louis Gossett Jr.) from the first season because they were able to tackle racial issues, bringing the very sensitive subject of color to the mainstream and doing so with taste. The episode became one of the all time greatest TV episodes according a TV guide poll conducted some years back. 

He appreciated the cast and felt close to them and had great respect for the musicians and songwriters that worked on the Partridge Family music. He was also very impressed with David Cassidy and Shirley Jones’ care for the music, wanting it to be credible and working very hard to give it their all in the studio.  As time moves forward, I will always hold that memory of our brief time together talking about The Partridge Family.

Book Signing--THE STEEL CITY CON, Monroeville, PA, April 13, 14, 15!

70s Music, 1970s, Partridge FamilyJohn MillerComment

Anyone able to come to the Monroeville PA STEEL CITY CON this weekend? LOVE to see you! I'll have a table there, signing books and there will be a host of celebrities including John Wesley Shipp (The Flash), Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie) and Alice Cooper (who was a good friend of David Cassidy!) Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

Hope to see you! Here's the link: https://www.steelcitycon.com/

Happy Birthday David. We miss you.

John Miller1 Comment

Today would have been David Cassidy's 68th birthday. With bittersweet feelings, I am grateful for his incredible body of work he left behind. In addition to 10 Partridge Family albums, David also released 14 solo albums, 3 live albums and several hits packages. An accomplishment few singer/songwriters can claim. 

I found myself thinking about him all day, and remembering the concert at The Barrow-Civic Theatre in Franklin PA, 2009--the very first time I ever worked with him. It was a night of nights, and I will be forever grateful for that experience. Thanks, David, for believing in me. 

Keeping your spirit alive, here are a few of the pictures from that night. We miss you, man. 

John

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Book Signing at the Hollywood-Chicago Show! March 16, 17 and 18!

John MillerComment

I'll be doing a book signing this weekend, all three days of the Chicago's Hollywood Show! Hope to see some of you in the area stop by! Check out the link attached! There's a ton of celebrities attending, including Lyle Waggoner (making his first appearance), Kristi McNichol, Parker Stevenson and many others! The event is all weekend long, with Vendor Hours beginning Friday evening and Celebrities joining on Saturday from 9-5 and Sunday from 10-4! Hope to see you! http://hollywoodshow.com/mainchicago.php

A Tribute to Executive Producer Bob Claver

Partridge Family TV ShowJohn Miller1 Comment

During the month of December, and only weeks after the passing of David Cassidy, Partridge Family Executive Producer Bob Claver quietly passed away after a brave battle with Alzheimer’s. He was a huge supporter of When We're Singin', and I'd like to share a few words about this great man who gave the world of entertainment many, many great television programs.

Bob Claver 5 courtesy of Nancy Witherell.jpg

After my very first interview with Shirley Jones she told me that I needed to speak with Bob Claver. She said he was a great producer and she had a terrific relationship with him because he always dealt with everyone so fairly and with such professionalism. She said she had worked with a lot of producers through the years and they were not all like that. When I spoke with Bob, he had the same kind of respect for Shirley. He felt very close to Shirley through those years and off camera they shared a great friendship, supporting each other in their personal lives as well. Their ability to unite, to be a team and to teach the young actors how to stick together, is something that made a great impression on me.

Bob was my third or fourth interview for When We’re Singin.’ I had watched an archival interview with him beforehand, and I was really excited (and really nervous!) to have the chance to speak with him.

He was extremely knowledgeable and articulate about his life in the business and his time on The Partridge Family. The quality I remember most about him was his straight forward nature in answering every question with precise detail. He was a listener too, and he picked up on a few comments I made about my own life early in the conversation and brought them back into the dialog at the very end. I noticed it, and it felt really nice. It was a certain nod of approval that I cherish to this day, and will always remember.

It was Bob Claver’s daughter, Nancy, who initially connected me with her father for the interview. Shortly afterwards Nancy together with her father, became backers for the book, supporting the Kickstarter campaign and everything that went into the book’s publication.

During the campaign, Bob signed 25 bookmarks that were used to help raise funds. He even offered to sign copies of the book for all those who purchased it through the campaign, but sadly the Altzheimer’s had begun to set in and take hold by the time the book was printed.

Nancy cared for her father all through the run of that horrible disease, and when he passed in December 2017, she sent me a very thoughtful note, as my own mother had passed from dementia in June 2016, six months before the publication of the book.

I felt a certain kinship with Nancy through those last few years. She and her father became people I could call friends. Nancy told me that at one point when the disease was getting bad, she was reading passages from the book to him, and she could see him nod and smile with approval over the words chosen to represent him and his memories of that period in his life. That warmed my heart.

Bob actually began his career on Captain Kangaroo, a show many of us watched as young children—a show that influenced us to be kind to one another, gentle and caring. If only there were more shows like that on TV today. Thanks to Bob Claver, we had one of the best.

His experience on that show and his passion for kids carried through in everything he did, and anyone who watches The Partridge Family can see that the Executive Producer, Bob Claver, had his pulse, influence and control over every line and every script ever produced for that show.

I remember him telling me that they did an episode about Danny thinking he was adopted, and it scared children across the nation. It was the only show that received letters of concern, and for some time it was not included in the syndicated reruns. He was sad by this because, he said, it didn’t produce the kind of feelings for children that he believed in. He didn’t like the idea of anyone—child or adult—feeling confused about their family identity.

The Partridge Family was also known for tackling topical issues of the day—racial prejudice, religion, environment to name a few, and Bob was particularly proud of those episodes because he felt they made a positive difference in the lives of children. He cared very much about their sensitivities.

We lost a show business legend when we lost Bob Claver, and I hope that you will all say a silent prayer for him, for Nancy and for the rest of his loving family left behind. —Johnny Ray Miller