The musician died in 2017.
In never-before-seen footage David Cassidy reveals that he never suffered from dementia as previously believed.
The former teen idol, who died in November 2017, is the subject of a new A&E 'Biography' documentary special, David Cassidy: The Last Session, premiering June 11. The documentary is a mix of never-before-heard audio tapes from 1976 and footage from Cassidy's final session where he was recording a tribute to his father, Jack Cassidy.
"I just met with the doctor and I have liver disease," Cassidy tells the documentary crew on the phone in a sneak peek of the two-hour special. "My life has changed dramatically. The first few days I was unconscious and near death. The last week or so my memory has come back."
"That's such a blessing. That means I'm cognizant of my surroundings. That I'm alive and it's daytime, and I know what day of the week it is," Cassidy continues before revealing that he never had dementia, but rather was continuing to drink excessively.
"There is no sign of me having dementia at this stage of my life. It was complete alcohol poisoning. And the fact is, I lied about my drinking," Cassidy, who was 67 when he died, reveals. "The head doctor at the hospital, she said, 'I believe that your dementia was directly related to your alcoholism.' You know I did it to myself, man. I did it to myself to cover up the sadness. And the emptiness."
The documentary will showcase Cassidy's deteriorating condition during production, give a look into Cassidy's life and legacy, and feature interviews with rocker and lifelong friend Alice Cooper, Partridge Family stars Danny Bonaduce and Brian Forster, and childhood friend Sam Hyman among others.
"David Cassidy was one of the most beloved teen icons of his time, experiencing an unfathomable amount of fame at such a young age that few will ever truly understand and we are honored to let David tell his own story through his own words," Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming, A&E Network said in a press release. "Our newly relaunched ‘Biography’ franchise is dedicated to bringing viewers the complete, inside narrative and that shines through during this very personal and humanizing documentary celebrating David’s life, his amazing contributions to music and the brilliant legacy he left behind."
According to his family, none of them have authorized the release of the music that Cassidy is seen recording in the film.
"We, the Cassidy family, were not affiliated with the A&E documentary," Cassidy's son, Beau, told ET. "All we are interested in is maintaining the legacy of the icon he was."
In February 2017 Cassidy told People that, after watching both his grandfather and mother suffer from dementia, he feared he would as well.
"I was in denial, but a part of me always knew this was coming," he said.
Cassidy also opened up to People about his relationship with his children, Katie, 31, and Beau, 27.
"I've never had a relationship with her. I wasn't her father. I was her biological father, but I didn't raise her. She has a completely different life," Cassidy said of his only daughter, who has starred in Gossip Girl and Arrow. "I’m proud of her. She's very talented. It's hard for me to even accept how old she is now, like 30."
Meanwhile, Cassidy called his Beau "just one of the best people you'll ever meet in your life."
In the months before his death Cassidy shared that he wanted "to focus on what I am, who I am and how I've been without any distractions. I want to love. I want to enjoy life."
Here's more on Cassidy's life:
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