A North Carolina woman who is convinced David Cassidy is her biological father has penned an open letter to the veteran singer/actor in a desperate bid to establish paternity once and for all.

Shelly Wright believes she was conceived during a one-night stand between The Partridge Family star and her mother back in the 1970s.

She has previously attempted to contact Cassidy via his publicist, seeking a Dna test to prove or disprove her claim, but alleges her requests to be put in touch with him have been rebuffed.

Now Wright, 40, has written a heartfelt note to the 64 year old in the pages of the National Enquirer magazine, in the hope it will be brought to Cassidy's attention.

In the note, she writes, "This is my cry: that the truth be revealed! All I want is to find my father - my real father.

"Growing up, I never looked like the man who was raising me as his daughter - and my whole family talked about it. Finally, I confronted my mother. She revealed that she'd had a one-night stand with David Cassidy in Nashville (Tennessee) in 1973. When I Googled him, I realized that I looked amazingly like David, and his daughter Katie."

She continues, "This is not a gimmick. It's not a game. I'm frustrated and desperate, and I just want David to know that I've been trying to contact him... And this isn't about money or fame. My husband has a good job. We have a good life. A well-known daytime talk show offered me a lot of money to tell my story. But I didn't do it - because my quest is to find my father. That's all.

"From the bottom of my heart, I'm begging David Cassidy - the man that I believe is my father - to agree to a Dna test. Then, and only then, will I find the truth."

Cassidy, who has been struggling to overcome his battle with alcoholism in recent months, has yet to respond to the letter. He has two legitimate children - actress daughter Katie from his relationship with Sherry Benedon, and son Beau with third wife Sue Shifrin, who filed for divorce in February (14) after 23 years of marriage.