My Exclusive Interview with the Sad, Tragic Jeremy Gelbwaks

So close to fame and fortune only to have it cruelly snatched away.

So close to fame and fortune only to have it cruelly snatched away.

Show business can be cruel and heartless even for the very lucky. But those those who aren’t lucky it can be extremely devastating. With that in mind today I interview Jeremy Gelbwaks, the first drummer for the Partridge family and learn his tragic story.

MI: Good afternoon Jeremy. How are you?

JG: You told me over the phone you’d give me 100 bucks if I spoke to you. Where’s my money?

MI: You’ll get it after the interview. So tell me about the Partridge family.

JG: I was there from the beginning. I saved their asses. They needed a drummer for a gig in New Hamburg, New York but didn’t have any. So they hired me.

MI: You were with them for two years. They must have liked your drumming.

JG:  I created the Partridge family sound. My drumming brought them attention. I had my own style. I called it the “Jeremy Gelbwaks atomic beat.” It drove the band to greater heights musically.

MI:  You were there when the Partridge family was discovered and got their first big break.

JG: Yeah, some rich guy named Ruben Kincaid found us. We were playing a block from his record store. People used to go in and ask for our records so he came to see us. He signed us right after that.

MI: He got you the TV show on ABC.

JG:  Yep. We were in the big time. Fame and fortune. I tell you I was getting more pussy than Jimmy Page.

MI: Did you get along with the other members of the Partridge family?

JG:  I was closest to Shirley Jones. She was a sweetheart. I never liked David Cassidy. He was jealous of my looks and was afraid I was getting more girls than he did.

MI: So you’re riding high and after the first year what happened?

JG: Reuben called me and asked me to meet him in his office. I thought I was going to get a raise, being the most popular member you know. Instead he says “Jeremy the family has spoken. They want you out and Brian Forster in.” 

Gelbwak's replacement

Gelbwak’s replacement

I was devastated. I felt like I had been stabbed in the back. How could they do this to me. I’m a better drummer than Brian. Everybody knows that.

MI: Did the other members of the Partridge family ever give you any explanation?

JG: No. I never heard from any of them again.

MI: So what have you done since you left the band?

JG:  I formed my own band, the Jeremy Gelbwaks Combo. We toured for a couple years but didn’t have any success. So we split up. After that I tried to kill myself by putting my head in an oven. Fortunately since I had no money the gas had been turned off. Then I got a job at Burger King. It’s good, honest work and I get all the free fries I want. I like fries.

MI:  I see.

JG: I’m up for a promotion to assistant manager. I hope I get it. Maybe if I become a manager the girls will like me again. Chicks dig assistant managers you know.

MI: Well that’s about all the time I have.

JG: Hey, where’s my money.

[Manhattan Infidel gives him 100 dollars]

JG: Thanks. This will come in handy. I need to buy some new bed sheets. To impress the ladies you see.

MI: Right. Well thank you for meeting with me.

JG: No problem. Oh and tell David Cassidy that if I ever see him I’ll kick his pretty boy ass.

And so ended my interview with the slightly tragic Jeremy Gelbwaks. I leave you with the Partridge family (with Jeremy Gelbwaks not Brian Forster) in all their glory.  I for one feel that Gelbwaks atomic beat drove the band.

 

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17 Responses

  1. PATRICK says:

    Sounds like he did not like David Cassidy!! Or was he jealous of him?? I wish you luck Jeremy Gelbwaks.

  2. The real story was that he constantly pestered Danny Bonaduce. He was fired, and the network put out the story about his father getting a job in Florida.

    • Manhattan Infidel says:

      That’s what Brian Forster would have you believe. But Gelbwaks was fired because pretty boy David Cassidy was jealous of Gelbwaks good looks. (Gelbwak’s drumming brought all the girls to the yard.)

  3. Sandra P says:

    Are you kidding? Jeremy was the goofiest bug-eyed little kid I had ever seen. He had about two lines per week and if you watch closely he had no idea what he was doing on the drums. David Cassidy jealous of him? That’s the stupidest thing ever obviously he was the talent and went on to become a millionaire 2 years later

  4. Barbara O. says:

    I agree whole heartedly with Sandra P. It would also seem that someone would take pity on that boy and fix ’em darned teeth!!

  5. Jerry says:

    Do you people realize that you are commenting on a made up story by a person who claims to be a comedian???
    “some rich guy named Ruben Kincaid found us”……really? It wasn’t a casting agent???

  6. Bang Zoom says:

    Mr. Gelbwaks is actually a very intelligent successful guy with a masters degree. He’s working as a senior engineer in the tech industry. There are many stories circulating the Internet about Jeremy’s dismissal form TPF, and the one that Dave Madden (Reuben Kincaid) told, is that Jeremy was always picking fights with Danny Bonaduce. Filming a scene Jeremy was known to spontaneously kick Danny in the shins. Danny being a kid who didn’t take any crap often decked Jeremy on the set. Jeremy and Danny’s mothers would have to try and calm their kids down. As Dave Madden went on in his story, the producers felt it was necessary to replace Jeremy. Madden also said that the story of Jeremy’s father being transferred to West Virgina wasn’t true. Madden believed the Gelbwaks continued to reside in California, but made up the story about being transferred to cover up the embarrassment of Jeremy being fired. Anyway, whether or not Madden got this story right about the family being transferred is pointless now. The fact that Jeremy graduated from a graduate school and made a name for himself is what really matters. Brian Forster also did quite well graduating college as a science major and taught at university level for a number of years. The biggest loser is Cassidy; drug abuse, alcohol abuse and manydivorces. Well, Cassidy’s dead now. Bonaduce was a BIG loser for several years but he managed to right his wrongs and made it big in talk radio and occasionally playing bass guitar at gigs. Yes, Bonaduce actually learned to play the bass later in life!

  7. Omg Brian Forrester is WAY better than Jeremy Gelbwaks

    Jeremy (what a drip)
    Brian♥️ ( what a cutie)

    Danny Bonaduce if you watch this
    I agree Brian is much better

  8. P.F. Lover says:

    I liked both kids, but I really wanted Jeremy to have stayed. I wish Danny had gone. I never liked him from day one. I did feel really sorry for him being so abused by his real family. That’s probably why he got in so much trouble later in life. My favs were Shirley Jones (I loved her hair style) & of course David (also loved his hairstyle, but who didn’t?). They were head over heels better than that dopey Brady Bunch. I wish they would put The Partridge Family repeats back one. There’s nothing but violence, swearing, & murder on TV these days.

  9. 60's kid says:

    Hate to say it, but you really need a more obvious disclaimer.
    The online public is just too quick to take everything they read as fact !
    I have a dry sense of humor and enjoy this stuff but when I see so many people taking it seriously it makes me sad !
    Then I have to curl up in a fetal position and contemplate the future of civilization.

  10. Bill says:

    I can’t believe how many of you fell for this fake interview. There sure are a lot of gullible people out there.

  11. Sharon says:

    This is the biggest load of crap I have ever read. Anyone who actually bought it deserves to be locked up in a room with Brian Forster and forced to watch all the reruns of the PF with him in them. I, personally would rather be locked up with Jeremy Gelbwaks to watch all his episodes with him. I’m sure he’d have better stories. And he was way cuter.

  12. When the Partridge Family lost that signature Gelbwaks beat they were never the same. They completely lost their edge. Like the Who when Keith Moon died. Never the same.

  13. Gracie says:

    Loved Jeremy when I was a kid (those big eyes) and was mad when he was replaced. Nothing against Brian, but Jeremy will always be the “real” Chris Partridge to me.

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