Former child actor Danny Bonaduce turns 65 today

Bonaduce became famous as a child actor of the 1970s on the TV sitcom The Partridge Family

Former child actor Danny Bonaduce turns 65 today



Danny Bonaduce was born on August 13, 1959, in Broomhall, Pennsylvania. Bonaduce is the son of veteran TV writer/producer Joseph Bonaduce (The Dick Van Dyke Show, One Day at a Time, etc.). The child actor first appeared on television in commercials and on such shows as Bewitched and Mayberry R.F.D. Cast as the wise-cracking Danny Partridge, he shot to stardom as part of the hit show The Partridge Family in 1970. Shirley Jones led the cast as the mother of the performing family. After the show ended in 1974, Bonaduce made numerous television guest appearances on Police Story, CHiPs, Fantasy Island and Eight Is Enough among other programs. Like many child stars, Bonaduce had a hard time getting work and got into drugs and other sorts of trouble. He was arrested several times for assault and drug possession, including a 1991 arrest for assaulting a transvestite in Phoenix. In the late 1980s, Bonaduce found a new career in radio. His gravelly voice, sense of humor, and frank style of talking led to a series of disc jockey jobs, beginning in Philadelphia. While working in at a station in Phoenix, Bonaduce met Gretchen Hillmer. The two got married on a blind date in 1990. He then moved to jobs in Detroit, New York, and Chicago. In 2000, he ended up in Los Angeles on the highly rated The Jamie and Danny Show. In 2005, Bonaduce was fired from his radio program and opened his private life for public viewing. He starred in the reality television series Breaking Bonaduce on the VH1 cable network. The cameras followed him everywhere as he struggled with drugs and alcohol and tries to save his marriage to wife Gretchen. The filming of the show continued even after Bonaduce attempted suicide. Despite his dark moods, Bonaduce seems to be a survivor and continues to bounce back after each setback. Breaking Bonaduce returned for a second season in 2006 with a clean and sober Bonaduce still wrestling his demons. That same year, he became the host of Starface, a game show that tests contestants on their celebrity knowledge. In January 2007, Bonaduce returned to radio, joining the crew of The Adam Carolla Show on Los Angeles’ KLSX-FM. Gretchen Hillmer and Bonaduce divorced on April 9, 2007, citing irreconcilable differences. Bonaduce began dating his current wife, Amy Railsback, in April 2007. They met at a Starbucks in the Los Angeles area. The couple married on November 22, 2010, at the Four Seasons on Maui, Hawaii.

By Ken Warren



Watch Danny Bonaduce on the TV sitcom The Partridge Family

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