London, White City Stadium, David Cassidy concert crowd incident 26/05/1974
London, White City Stadium, David Cassidy concert crowd incident 26/05/1974
`The blessed David Cassidy, holy creation of the American television and publicity machines, has decided to renounce the throne at the tender age of 24 and stop being a sub-teenage idol,” said the Guardian’s pop critic on 27 May 1974. But his review of Cassidy’s penultimate farewell concert, buried deep in the paper, began with an unfortunate turn of phrase: “Those who live by publicity shall die by publicity and there was a well- publicised death – of sorts – at the White City stadium last night.” On the same day, the tabloids’ front pages screamed “750 hurt at pop concert” (Sun) and “Weeny boppers in riot” (Mail). A few days later, 14-year-old fan Bernadette Whelan, who had been unconscious since the hysterical crush, became the first fatality at a British pop concert.
The death of a teenybopper
42 years ago, Bernadette Whelan, a 14-year-old David Cassidy fan, died by “traumatic asphyxiation” in a hysterical crush of a concert crowd. Goldmine looks into the tragedy that occurred back in 1974 at a David Cassidy show in the sports arena, White City.
David Cassidy White City Tragedy Recalled As England Bombing Tops List Of Worst Concert Tragedies Of All Time
David Cassidy now has something in common with Ariana Grande. The aftermath of the Manchester Arena concert bombing in England that killed at least 22 of Grande’s fans and injured dozens more brings to mind the 1974 White City tragedy that all but ended David Cassidy’s career. Cassidy, who is now 67 years old, stopped touring at the height of his career after the 1974 tragedy when he was just 24 years old, and now some of Grande’s fans are afraid she will, too. Ariana turns 24 next month.
David Cassidy: The violent death of a superfan that haunted troubled singer into his final days
A millionaire by his early 20s, singer and actor David Cassidy seemed to have it all. From his starring role in the wildly popular TV show The Partridge Family to his emergence as a global teenage heartthrob, success came easy to the boyish New Yorker.
750 hurt at pop concert at white city Stock Photos and Images
DANNY FIELDS RECALLS: DAVID CASSIDY’S (VERY BAD) NIGHT-TO-REMEMBER
At 24, the former teen idol wanted to grow, but then the White City tragedy happened. At a show of 30,000+ fans, panic and pandemonium resulted in over 800 people requiring medical attention and led to the death of a 14-year-old girl.
