In his 40-plus years in the entertainment industry, Danny Bonaduce has delved into stand-up, reality and scripted television, and some fabulously forgettable films. But his most successful gig has always been drive-time DJ, a talent that has brought him to mornings (5:45–9 a.m. weekdays) on Seattle’s 102.5 KZOK.
Fast-talking, frenetic, and highly quotable, Mr. Bonaduce—aka “Danny Partridge”—was more than willing to give us the goods on a variety of topics, including his favorite, himself. So here’s your chance to get to know the man behind the mike in his own words, alphabetically—with a little history included.
A Asshole “All my e-mail starts with ‘I thought I was going to hate you, but . . . ‘ “
B Bass guitar The instrument Bonaduce “played” as a member of The Partridge Family, the ABC sitcom that ran from 1970–74.
C Cheating “I cheated on my ex-wife every chance I possibly could get. This was a big thing with my [current] wife. I told her how I would cheat and how I would lie before because I didn’t want it to be like that now.”
D David Cassidy “The guy creeps me out completely,” Bonaduce says of his Partridge co-star. “I will work for David Cassidy for enough money. But I will shoot David Cassidy from a distance for enough money. There’s nothing—dude, you are talking to a real whore. There’s just not much I won’t do for money.”
E Eight hundred “You have 800 words to interview me? I don’t say hello in 800 words. 800 words? You are so fucked.”
F Fucked (see above)
G Ganja “I turned six months’ probation into seven years . . . the fact is, during the seven years you can beat any drug except pot . . . So I thought for all seven years, the day I am off probation, I will smoke. Seven years went by, and I smoked a joint, and it was so potent and toxic it was almost a hallucinogen, and made me so paranoid and flipped-out that I’ve never been anywhere near pot since. Not that I’m against it— I think all drugs should be legalized and taxed, then they wouldn’t be such a crime problem.”
H H.O.T.S. ’70s boobie movie featuring Bonaduce, both in the film and on the soundtrack.
I I Know My Kid’s a Star VH1 reality show Bonaduce produced.
J Jose, Cuervo and Canseco The former is one of the trinity—with Philip Morris and Juan Valdez—to whom Bonaduce dedicated his autobiography, Random Acts of Badness; the latter is a former sparring partner. “When I tell you I fought Jose Canseco . . . I fought a guy 6-foot-6-and-a-half. I’m 5-foot-6-and-a-half. And he weighed 265 pounds and I weighed 165 pounds. He’s a retired professional and was on tons of ‘roids and I think he hit me twice. Luckily, it’s on videotape and everybody saw it.”
K Knock-out necklace Mr. B sports a souvenir human tooth around his neck. “Actually . . . all of his teeth came out. This is the only one I got.”
L Lying “The only thing I do with any consistency is never, ever, ever under any circumstances lie to the listeners. But I don’t do that out of honesty. I lie to my wife just to keep in practice. I lie to people all the time. The reason I don’t lie to listeners is because I don’t tell jokes. If I told jokes, I could lie all day.”
M Masturbation & man jewelry “I was going through a pirate phase . . . I used to have them [rings] on all my fingers and bracelets and everything . . . I had a skull bracelet, and individuals, but they rattle when you masturbate . . . There was a time, because I am old enough, people of my wife’s generation think it’s a joke that you used to be able to do it to the Sears Catalog bra section. Totally viable.”
N Norris, Chuck Bonaduce’s martial-arts coach.
O The Other Half Male version of The View Danny co-hosted, 2001–03.
P Partridge, parolee, parent Bonaduce’s been all three.
Q Q-Crew Bonaduce’s former Detroit-based morning show.
R Radio regrets “What I said that I regret on the radio is: [co-host] Sarah was talking about the bus . . . and I couldn’t tell if she was talking about the bus with the electric line or what other bus. So what I said was, ‘You mean the bus? That thing where you give them money and they take you places?’ Did that come out right that I’ve never ridden the bus? . . . Well, I did ride on a bus . . . [on The Partridge Family] for four years.”
S Seattle “In radio, it’s known. You don’t buy a house until your contract is up. You find out how you’re doing. I had two years left on my contract. Only reason I’m buying a house is because I’m not leaving. I’m never leaving Seattle no matter what they say.”
T Tysonesque “People do get me wrong and sometimes . . . it’s like Mike Tyson traveling around with bodyguards because people want to try him. People want to try the guy they heard is crazy.”
U “Uncle” Dave Madden The guy who played Reuben Kincaid on The Partridge Family took a young Danny under his wing teaching the tween to play cards, drive a car . . . and smoke.
V VH1’s 100 Greatest Kid Stars Bonaduce’s #10 . . . if you count the Olsen twins as a single entity.
W Wichita “So, in, like, Wichita, the fact that I used to have a television series and a couple of reality shows—that would make me a bigger deal than it would in a city as big as Seattle. I didn’t have any stereotypes about Seattle. ‘Is it really cold and gray? Is it really the suicide capital of the world?’ Which it’s not . . . [it’s] Las Vegas. They go there to have the outrageous night of their lives with 87 hookers and a bunch of blow and then jump out the window, but they lived in Wichita. By the way, I’ve mentioned Wichita twice, and I don’t think I’ve ever been there. It’s just I’m pretty sure that’s where I’m going to end my life—in Wichita.”
Y wYsp Danny’s former radio station in Philly.
Z kZok Seattle station Bonaduce now calls home.
