Today I bid farewell to one of the teenagers I inspired to be like as I was growing up. Being 7 years younger than the famous actor and singer I marveled at his talent and popularity.

“Partridge Family” star David Cassidy died Tuesday after suffering liver and kidney failure, his publicist confirmed. He was 67.

“David died surrounded by those he loved, with joy in his heart and free from the pain that had gripped him for so long,” Jo-Ann Geffen said. “Thank you for the abundance of love and support you have shown him these many years.”

Cassidy was admitted to a Fort Lauderdale, Fla. hospital Wednesday, though his condition was not reported until this past Saturday. Geffen told multiple news outlets over the weekend that Cassidy was suffering from multiple organ failure.

Born into a show business family, Cassidy rocketed to stardom on ABC’s “The Partridge Family,” a sitcom about a widow (played by Cassidy’s real-life stepmother Shirley Jones) and her five children who form a rock band and tour the country. The cast also featured Susan Dey, later of “L.A. Law” fame, as sibling Laurie Partridge and Danny Bonaduce as sibling Danny Partridge.

As eldest son Keith Partridge, Cassidy became a global heartthrob as the face — and voice — of the Partridge Family’s biggest hit, “I Think I Love You.” The song spent three weeks on top of the Billboard chart.