Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is an Academy Award-winning American singer and actress perhaps best known for her role as "Shirley Partridge", the widowed single mother of five children, in the television series The Partridge Family, co-starring her real-life stepson, David Cassidy.

Named after child star Shirley Temple, Shirley Jones started singing at the age of six. She started formal training at the age of 12 and would dream of singing with her idol, Gordon MacRae. Upon graduating from high school, Shirley went to New York to audition for the casting director of Rodgers & Hammerstein. Taken by Shirley's beautifully trained voice, Shirley was signed as a nurse in the Broadway production of "South Pacific". Within a year, she would be in Hollywood to appear in her first film _Oklahoma!(1955)_ as Laurie, the farm girl in love with cowboy Gordon MacRae. Oklahoma! (1955) would be filmed in CinemaScope and Todd-AO wide screen and would take a year to shoot. After that, Shirley returned to Broadway for the stage production of "Oklahoma!" before returning to Hollywood for Carousel (1956). But by this time, musicals were a dying art and she would have a few lean years. She would work on television in programs like "Playhouse 90" (1956). With a screen image comparable to peaches-n-cream, Shirley wanted a darker role to change her image. In 1960, she would be cast as the vengeful prostitute in the Richard Brooks dramatic film Elmer Gantry (1960). With a brilliant performance against an equally brilliant Burt Lancaster, Shirley would win the Oscar for Supporting Actress. But the public wanted the good Shirley so she was cast as Marion, the librarian, in the successful musical Music Man, The (1962). Robert Preston (I) had played the role on Broadway and his performance along with Shirley was magic. Shirley would again work with little Ronny Howard in Courtship of Eddie's Father, The (1963). But the movies changed in the 60's and Shirley's image did not fit so she would see her movie career stop in 1965. There were always nightclubs, but Shirley would be remembered by another generation as Shirley Partridge in the television series "Partridge Family, The" (1970). While the success of the show would do more for her stepson, teen idol David Cassidy (I), it would keep her name and face in the public view for the four years that the series ran. The show still plays in reruns. After the show ended, Shirley would spend the rest of the 70's in the land of television movies. The television movie Lives of Jenny Dolan, The (1975) (TV) would be made as a pilot for a series that was not picked up. In 1979, Shirley appeared in a comedy show called "Shirley" (1979), but the show lasted only one season. Shirley would appear infrequently in the 80's and in video's extolling fitness and beauty at the end of the decade.

Shirley Mae Jones was born 31 March, 1934 in Smithton, Pennsylvania. She was named after Shirley Temple. Her father owned the local brewery. When she was 20, she went to New York with her parents and within a week became the first and only actor signed to a personal contract by Rogers and Hammerstein. She was in the Broadway chorus of "South Pacific" and then was offered the part of Laurie in "Oklahoma!" After that, she continued with the European traveling stage production with Jack Cassidy and they fell in love. She came back to make Carousel (1956), originally cast with Frank Sinatra in the male lead but later recast with Gordon McRae, her costar in Oklahoma! (1955). In 1956 Shirley married Jack Cassidy (I) and became step-mother to 6-year-old David Cassidy (I). In 1958, she gave birth to son 'Shaun Cassidy (I)' followed in 1960 by Patrick Cassidy (I) and Ryan Cassidy (I) in 1966. In 1960, she won an Oscar for her role in Elmer Gantry (1960). In 1970, she won the part of Shirley Partridge in the TV show "Partridge Family, The" (1970). Little did she know that her 20-year-old step-son was going to be the oldest Partridge child, Keith. From then on she would always be considered David Cassidy (I)'s mother. In 1974 the Partridge Family went off the air. Jack's mental illness worsened and manic depression deepened. In 1974, after years of abuse, Shirley divorced Jack. Jack died in an apartment fire in December of 1976. In 1977, Shirley married comedian Marty Ingels (I). In 1990, Marty and Shirley wrote a book about their life and their romance and marriage. The book is called Shirley and Marty: An Unlikely Romance. Shirley continued to act and was recently on "Drew Carey Show, The" (1995). In 1999, after almost 25 years of marriage, Shirley and Marty separated for six months due to tensions with her sons. Fortunately, Marty and Shirley reconciled and are still one of Hollywood's happiest married, if not odd couple, around.