Billboard Honoring David Cassidy Captured the Emotions of People Around the World
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
GO ON AND CRY This photograph of a digital billboard honoring David Cassidy captured the emotions of people around the world. It was taken in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on Nov. 22, 2017. Photo courtesy of JOHN HUMPHREY Teardrop requiem How a billboard tribute went viral By Mark Wyckoff Grammy and Olivier awards. Morrissey gave him an in- Saying goodbye’s not easy — especially when the concert shoutout, and folk-rock artist Sun Kil Moon person you’re grieving has made an indelible impression penned a tribute song called “David Cassidy.” Two on your heart. memorial benches were dedicated in his honor at the David Cassidy left that kind of impact: On his National Museum of Racing in Cassidy’s beloved children, his brothers, his family and his fans across the Saratoga Springs, N.Y. And at the Phoenix Theatre in globe. When the news broke on Nov. 21, 2017, that London’s West End, where Cassidy starred in “Blood Cassidy had died of organ failure in a Fort Lauderdale, Brothers” with Petula Clark in 1995-96, a plaque was Fla., hospital at the age of 67, tributes began pouring in. erected above the backstage door. Plans are currently in They appeared by the thousands on television and radio; the works to secure Cassidy a star on the Walk of Fame in newspapers and magazines; and across the internet, in Las Vegas, where he performed in “EFX” and “At the from Cassidy’s own website to Instagram, Facebook and Copa,” and created and produced “The Rat Pack Is Twitter. “This loss is huge,” wrote Cassidy’s “Partridge Back!” Family” co-star Danny Bonaduce. “Love & Mercy to Seemingly out of nowhere, one of the most heart- David,” said Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson. tugging tributes began appearing the morning after Cassidy’s brother, Shaun, remembered “all of the funny/ Cassidy’s passing. Spotted by United States motorists sad/extraordinary days we shared, none more filled with from coast to coast, it was a 20-by-60-foot digital love than these last few at his side.” billboard featuring the yellow-winged Mama Partridge In the months since Cassidy’s passing, the from the animated opening of “The Partridge Family,” a posthumous accolades have continued to mount. He was tear running down her crestfallen face as she turns to see featured in video tributes shown during the Emmy, the dates of Cassidy’s life, 1950-2017. EVERYWHERE A SIGN On Nov. 22, 2017, a tribute to David Cassidy began appearing across the country on digital billboards owned by Lamar Advertising. The billboards were spotted everywhere from Pittsburgh, Pa. (far left) to Midland, Texas. AMAZONHOTWAX/Instagram 2RDALED/Instagram It’s a simple image, which is everything from Elbow to Echo screen with her five-member brood why it packs so much power. and the Bunnymen, the Psychedelic tagging along behind. Cassidy’s name isn’t used Furs to Queens of the Stone Age. “I love it,” Fung said. “I’ve anywhere. It didn’t need to be. Tucked between all of these rock always loved it. The birds have a Anyone impacted by Cassidy’s 49- discs are a couple of CDs by The real tactile feel to them, and I love year career as a singer, songwriter, Partridge Family. the half-tone images of the cast actor and producer would get the Though Fung was only 2 years members that are shown as their message, and they would mourn old when “The Partridge Family” names flash by. It’s got such a ’70s along with this feathered matriarch. debuted on ABC in 1970, he feel.” That single tear represented the became a fan by watching the Given his appreciation for the millions welling up in eyes around series in syndication when he was look and feel of “The Partridge the country and around the world. growing up in the Seattle suburb of Family” opening, not to mention But who created the billboard, Renton, Wash. the animated graphics used in and how did it go viral? Internet “The show was fun, it was shows like “I Dream of Jeannie” conjecture suggested it was paid entertaining,” he said. “And it had and “Bewitched,” it’s hardly for by Shirley Jones, Cassidy’s the musical element to it, which I surprising Fung grew up to be a stepmom and co-star on “The loved. It was just good, fun family graphic artist. Partridge Family.” Others said it entertainment.” In his spare time, he pours his was Shaun Cassidy. But neither had When pressed, Fung says his love for music into his art, creating a hand in it. favorite Partridge song is “I Think I concert posters for some of his Instead, credit the billboard’s Love You” and his favorite episode favorite bands. The gig posters he’s impact to a perfect digital storm, is “Soul Club,” the 1971 classic designed for My Morning Jacket, one that began with a lightbulb featuring Richard Pryor and Louis especially, have become prized moment in the very same Pacific Gossett Jr. collector’s items among the group’s Northwest town where David “It’s amazing seeing Pryor and fans. Cassidy had performed his first Gossett so young,” Fung says. Fung, who lives in Seattle now, concert. Even as a kid, Fung was is art director of the city’s branch This is the story of the tear seen knocked out by the now-legendary of Lamar Advertising, an outdoor around the world. animated title sequence Sandy advertising company that operates Devore created for “The Partridge logo signs, transit displays and, Drawing power Family,” featuring an egg cracking yes, digital billboards in the U.S., Eclectic doesn’t begin to open to reveal Mama Partridge. Canada and Puerto Rico. His main describe Randy Fung’s taste in After cooly kicking away the shell, focus is on designing billboard music. Flip through his CD the bird gives her head a jaunty advertising for local businesses in collection and you’ll find shake before walking across the Seattle and Tacoma. But when time Digital illustration by RANDY FUNG/Lamar Advertising BIRDS OF A FEATHER Randy Fung’s digital tribute to David Cassidy, above, was inspired by the animated partridge, below, that Sandy Devore created for the opening credits of “The Partridge Family” in 1970. permits and the inspiration strikes, to incorporate the egg somehow, ever considered using all of the Lamar gives their artists the leeway but the egg was kind of extraneous birds. I think that would be too to create digital tributes to public and didn’t really do anything. I much. Suzanne Crough had passed figures who have passed. dismissed that idea without even away, and now David’s gone, so it Word that Cassidy was trying it.” wouldn’t make sense to have all of critically ill began to surface on them on there. So I Nov. 18, but Fung had missed figured it had to be the those reports. So he mother partridge and was blindsided she had to be sad, when he came because she was home on Tuesday grieving the loss of night, Nov. 21, her baby partridge. 2017, and his wife, “To me, on the Leah, told him that bird I chose, the Cassidy had died. angle of the beak “It was shocking and the line that to me,” he said. “My was forming the wife and I love beak and the mouth watching ‘The made it look like it Partridge Family’ was sad — like it together.” was frowning,” Fung He quickly decided continued. “I know that wasn’t the to funnel his love for the show into After settling on the single original artist’s intention, but to me a tribute. partridge, the idea for the single it gave the illusion that it was sad. “I thought I’d put something tear came almost immediately. When I added the tear, it really together,” he said simply. Now all he had to do was draw it. emphasized that.” To do that, he went to YouTube and Once he found the perfect pose, Bird man of Seattle watched the opening frame by he took a screen shot of the Fung immediately began frame, searching for a moment partridge, imported that into Adobe mulling concepts, and quickly where Mama Partridge was Illustrator on his Mac and began settled on a “Partridge”-themed perfectly positioned. He settled on tracing the figure with his mouse to illustration. one where the bird is looking create a vector file. “I remembered the egg backward. “The hardest part, for me, cracking in half and I thought, “Initially, I was debating because the screen grab I was ‘Well, that wouldn’t really be a whether or not to use the whole working with was so blurry, was good graphic.’ Then I thought the body of the bird, but I then I getting the plume just right on top single partridge would be the best thought, ‘It doesn’t need the whole of her head,” Fung said. “I wasn’t one. I was debating whether or not body,’” he said. “I don’t think I too concerned about getting it exact ... I knew if I got it close to Marnie and John Humphrey. On to Facebook on Nov. 24, 2017, enough that people would instantly Nov. 22, the morning the billboard with a one-word caption: “This.” It recognize it. I modified the eye a went live, the Wilmington, N.C., received 785 comments and 1,962 little bit. If you look at the eye I couple was cruising southbound on shares.