As iHeartMedia sees it, he’s “best known for his charismatic presence and distinctive voice.” For a generation of teens, he was known for his part on the ABC Friday night musical sitcom that aired at 8:30pm following The Brady Bunch.
Now, “the luckiest guy in entertainment” has announced his retirement — effective Friday.
That’s when Danny Bonaduce will include a 50-plus career that spans from being a child actor on The Partridge Family to his current gig as co-host of Classic Rock KZOK-FM 102.5 in Seattle’s morning show alongside Danni Sarah.
Come December 18, Bonaduce will no longer he heard on the iHeartMedia FM, ending a run that began in 2011. Sarah will stay on the morning show; her new co-host will be announced “in the coming weeks.”
“I joined the actors union at age three and with little interruption, I have worked in the industry I love for 60 years,” he said. “I loved almost every minute of it. I want to thank the loyal fans who have followed me throughout my career, including the last 12 based in Seattle. Thank you to iHeartRadio for believing in me, to my on-air partner Sarah for putting up with me. My thanks to Paul Anderson, my agent for decades who has been my steady guide and business partner. And most importantly, to the love of my life, Amy, who is my rock.”
Bonaduce continued, “Retirement is just a word, I expect to visit my friends and family at KZOK as I pop back on the air from time to time to say hello. I’ve been in the entertainment industry for six decades and this is the best time I’ve ever had. Thank you all.”
Chris Sargent, who serves as Program Director for KZOK, commented, “Besides the great show that Danny has helped guide all these years, getting to know Danny and working beside him has been a pleasure. He’s a down to earth guy who always enjoys the simple things, and we’re going to miss him and his energy around here.”
As “Danny Partridge,” Bonaduce became an iconic child actor, following one-episode appearances on Mayberry R.F.D. and The Ghost & Mrs. Muir in 1969. Following The Partridge Family‘s run, which concluded in 1974, he had bit parts in such shows as Fantasy Island, Eight is Enough and CHiPs until 1979. Fifteen years later, thanks to a cameo appearance in the FOX sitcom Married … with Children, Bonaduce was rediscovered to TV and introduced to a new generation of viewers. This was, however, Malrite Communications in the late 1980s gave him a new chance at fame by hiring him for a nighttime shift at WEGX “Eagle 106” in Philadelphia.
Earlier in the 1980s, Bonaduce had been impacted by drug and alcohol abuse; he was homeless. Reruns of The Partridge Family being aired on cable TV rekindled interest in the show, and Bonaduce ended up being interviewed on the station’s morning show. The stint was so successful Malrite offered him a job.
From there, Bonaduce in September 1990 joined the KKFR “Power 92” in Phoenix air staff as a “Morning Zoo” co-host; on March 31, 1991 he was placed on administrative leave after being on charges of beating and robbing what Phoenix police called a transvestite prostitute. Once that matter faded from the headlines, Bonaduce would find fame in Chicago as a host on WLUP in Chicago. There, he was credited for the saving the life of a despondent man by keeping him on the phone for 3 1/2 hours.
From 1996-1998, Bonaduce held the morning show host role at WKQI-FM in Detroit. He briefly joined WBIX “Big 105” in New York following that role, then went to Los Angeles where he reinvented himself again, this time as a daytime talk show host. In 2005, a VH1 reality show focused on his life, dubbed Breaking Bonaduce.
Two years later, in 2007, Bonaduce returned to radio with a hour-long daily slot on “FM Talker” KLSX-FM in Los Angeles. With a format change in February 2009, he focused on a role as a commentator for a TruTV series.
However, on November 14, 2011, Bonaduce’s career would achieve the strongest period of stability, as he joined KZOK. It had been one years since Bob Rivers had exited; it turned out to be a perfect match for Bonaduce and for iHeartMedia.
Mark Glynn, President of iHeartMedia Seattle, added, “Danny’s retirement marks the end of an era in radio. His unique talent, charisma and dedication made a lasting impact on the industry, and he will be missed greatly by both listeners and our team at iHeartMedia Seattle.”
RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION: Cheers to Danny Bonaduce, for a career in radio that spanned longer than his time as an actor. Now … is Jubal ready for a “fresh” move in Seattle, now that Sarah needs a partner?
