So when TV's VH1 launched "Breaking Bonaduce," it was supposed to merely chronicle the life of the show biz wild man and his wife of 16 years, Gretchen, whom he famously married seven hours after meeting her. But the show's first season documented something no one expected -- a complete and total mental breakdown for Bonaduce that even included a suicide attempt. Now, the show's second season follows the couple as Gretchen and a clean and sober Danny plod through the chaos and try to get their lives back on track.
Bankrate spoke to Bonaduce about his odd and fascinating career.
Bankrate: On the first episode of the new season, you said that you hadn't seen the show, and that you're embarrassed by your behavior on it. So why continue?
Danny Bonaduce: Money. That's the sole answer. And here's where I went wrong. I was the biggest hit that VH1 ever had (at the time), but there was not a hiring frenzy after it was over. I did some real damage. It's funny, because I made a fortune (on the radio) touting my terrible reputation, and I don't know how it's possible that this show hurt my reputation. I still don't have my morning radio job back, and this is surprising, because I always thought radio was the brave one.
Bankrate: Is there really no reason but money that you're willing to do this, no exhibitionist side or to cry out for help?
Danny Bonaduce: No, but I'll tell you where my wife and I (differ). My wife kept saying, "We're going to help people. People have these problems and nobody talks about them, and we're really going to help people." I said, "No, we're not. We're just going to look ridiculous." But my wife was right. People really seem to have gotten some help out of it. But that was never my intention. It never occurred to me I'd be helping my fellow man. Everybody pats me on the back, telling me how brave I am, and how much I've done for their family. But I'm in television. So I put on the best television show I could, and I wasn't thinking about your family when I did it.
Bankrate: Is there going to be a season three?
Danny Bonaduce: There can't possibly be a season three of "Breaking Bonaduce" the way it has been, because ... I can't give away the ending, but the show has -- and this was my doing completely -- wrought such havoc on my family that I wouldn't be willing to do it again. The company that produced this show, 3 Ball Entertainment, has already purchased a new reality show of mine that could, in fact, be a third season, with maybe a name change so people wouldn't be misled. But as likely as not, if VH1 says no, this isn't for us, we'll go to another network.
Bankrate: Can you tell me what it is?
Danny Bonaduce: I can't. But I want to make this clear. I have all this TV going on, but I want my radio job back. That's what I really do. I tell stories.
Bankrate: What was your last radio job?
Danny Bonaduce: Star 98.7 in LA. I had the morning show; No. 1 in the ratings when I left, and it's No. 24 now, which makes me very happy.
Bankrate: How long have you been gone from there?
Danny Bonaduce: A year and a half.
Bankrate: Why are you unable to get a radio job now?
Danny Bonaduce: Because at first, to be honest, people were a little afraid of me. But now I'm doing all this press for all these TV shows, I have four or five shows I did just in October, and I can go back to radio theoretically within the next two months, and probably will. Howard Stern was the first person to offer me a job.
Bankrate: What did he offer you?
Danny Bonaduce: Not enough money. Afternoons on his Sirius channel. The only reason I didn't take it is because I promised my daughter years ago, when we moved to L.A., that I would not move her again until she got out of the sixth grade. She graduates this year.
Bankrate: After the promotion for this show dies down, what will your next big thing be?
Danny Bonaduce: My big thing will be radio, because I can do it. As an actor, after "The Partridge Family" I didn't work again for 14 years. As a DJ, I wasn't out of work one day for 16 years. I've been on TV shows that have been good or bad, some have failed, and some have gone on. I have never been out of the top three in radio. It's what I do best.
Bankrate: So you expect to be back in radio by the end of the year?
Danny Bonaduce: Absolutely.
Bankrate: Was the TV show a big deal for you financially?
Danny Bonaduce: No. It hasn't made me wealthy at all. Both seasons of "Breaking Bonaduce" would be less than half of last year's radio contract. Dude, I make a lot of money in radio.
Bankrate: So with all the different stuff going on now, considering that you're not in radio at the moment, what's your biggest money maker?
Danny Bonaduce: There's the game show, "Starface," which I host on GSN. I made a good chunk of change appearing on "CSI." I played Comix Comedy Club in New York. A very decent, respectable wage. So I'm going to comedy clubs around the country, either bringing my show with me or hosting their show. And I'm doing fairly well at that. But, to be frank with you, by 1985 I was living in my car, so any money ... I have a really nice house, so it's not that much about the money now as it is about a lengthy career, and my career longevity is in radio.
Also, my wife just started her own business, which is at www.bonaduce.biz. It's just getting under way, but she's already making a little money. What she does is takes vintage rock and roll T-shirts, like Iggy Pop and the Stooges, stuff like that, and hand makes them into skirts with ruffles. They're really cool. I also just joined up with a thing called Pod Fitness, which I heard about on "The Howard Stern Show." When they asked me if I would be one of their trainers, I said, Are you kidding? I don't live well. I don't live healthy. I just maintain 8 percent body fat, which is approximately that of a professional athlete. And they said, "You're telling us you don't know anything that all our trainers don't know?" I said, "Your trainers know you burn off 600 calories an hour running. I know you burn 1,200 if you're running from the cops." And they said, "That's what we want." So I'm doing intricate and customized training for podfitness.com.
Bankrate: Given how famous you are, people might be under the impression that you're rich. Would they be right?
Danny Bonaduce: No. Am I rich by my standards of rich? No. What's your lowest standard of rich? If you ask me if I have a certain amount of money or not, I'll tell you yes or no.
Bankrate: Are you a millionaire?
Danny Bonaduce: Yes.
Bankrate: Multimillionaire?
Danny Bonaduce: Do I have two? Probably.
Bankrate: Total assets, or liquid?
Danny Bonaduce: I think total assets. I probably have a few million bucks.
Bankrate: Do you still get residuals from "The Partridge Family?"
Danny Bonaduce: No. I did not make a living in show business until I got into radio. "The Partridge Family" paid me $490 a week, 37 years ago.
Bankrate: And no residuals?
Danny Bonaduce: No. That wasn't the deal back then. Plus, the residuals on $490 wouldn't be anything anyway. I did three episodes of "CHiPs"in the '80s, and I do get residuals from them, and they're usually like 11 cents. It costs them more money to pay me than they pay me.
Bankrate: Do you have any capacity for managing your finances?
Danny Bonaduce: Here's my entire financial plan. If I die with one dollar left in the bank, I didn't live right. But on the other hand, I do have a family to take care of, and living in the streets is not an expression with me -- it's what I actually had to do for two years. That's never happening to my family. I plan it out daily. I might have that couple million bucks, but in the lifestyle we currently lead, I figure out every day how long we can live without making money. I'm obsessed with having a certain dollar amount that in my head will take care of my family for the rest of their lives so they don't end up living behind the dumpster behind Grauman's Chinese Theater like daddy did. I have a real good accountant, a real good guy who invests.
Bankrate: Do you have any specific type of investments you're partial to?
Danny Bonaduce: My wife is very partial to real estate and has done pretty well in it. She keeps buying houses, fixing them up, selling them and moving to another house. We live in them -- we're not that kind of rich where we can buy an expensive house and not have to live in it. She has made hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years, and then we have whatever it is that's recommended by my financial advisers, who I trust. I'm buying into an indoor water park in Michigan. I own parts of a couple of strip malls in Vegas. Stuff like that.
Bankrate: What was the greatest financial move you ever made?
Danny Bonaduce: Marrying Gretchen. Wait -- one year, I traded my salary. I said, "Pay me nothing." They offered me -- these are made-up numbers -- this radio station was in the toilet. I said, "Why don't you pay me nothing at all, or, pay me a million dollars when we hit third, and a million dollars when we hit second and a million dollars when we hit first." And they did.
Bankrate: But a million dollars wasn't the real number?
Danny Bonaduce: No. The first payoff was not a million, and the (whole) payoff was not $3 million.
Bankrate: Was it less than a million?
Danny Bonaduce: Oh no -- it was more than a million. The original salary was less than a million. The payoff was well over a million and a half.
Bankrate: And you initiated that?
Danny Bonaduce: Yup. I just told somebody else that the other day. I was talking to this major radio company. Nobody keeps in mind ... (they think), Danny's so crazy from that TV show. Well, if I'm that crazy, exactly what network executive decided to sign up for another season? Who insured Danny if he's really that dangerous? In 16 years I've missed two days of work, and I've only been late twice. You don't get to say you're an outlaw and then not show up for work. You've got to be a superpro to live the way I live. You don't get to tell the wild stories and then come in hung over. You have to tell the wild stories and then be right on time and in perfect physical condition and ready to go. But, I just told a guy right now ... he said his company was a little reluctant. I'm tired of that, of having to tell the story of how I've never missed work. So I said, "Don't pay me." He said, "What?" I said, "Don't pay me a dime. Write out a contract that says you'll pay me $5 million, and don't pay me a penny of it until the end of the year. Then just write me a check. If I do one thing wrong in the meantime, kick me out and don't pay me a dime."
Bankrate: How did they react?
Danny Bonaduce: They didn't go for it. Now they're talking about a salary. But I'd do it again in a second. I'm confident in radio. I don't think I'm the world's greatest actor, but my radio show is awesome. I really like it. If somebody said, "We'll pay you nothing, or we'll pay you $10 million, but only if you beat the No. 1 guy in town," I'd take that bet. |
