Shaun Cassidy
Shaun Cassidy |
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Shaun Cassidy (born September 27, 1958) is an American actor, singer, writer, and producer. He is the eldest son of actress Shirley Jones, and the second son (his older half-brother is David Cassidy) of actor Jack Cassidy. His birth was a media sensation, as both his mother and father were popular actors at the time. His birth announcement and picture were placed on the front page of the Los Angeles Times.
Personal life
Cassidy grew up in Los Angeles and New York City in an Irish-American family. In addition to his half-brother, David Cassidy, Shaun has two (full) brothers: Patrick Cassidy (actor) and Ryan Cassidy.
Cassidy is married to producer Tracey Turner, and they have two sons, Caleb and Roan. Cassidy has been married twice previously, and he is the stepfather of Jessica Wilson Cruz, and father of Caitlin, Jake, and Juliet Cassidy.
Career
While still in high school, Cassidy landed a recording contract with Warner Brothers, and began making records. A series of singles were released in several European countries, leading to his eponymous American debut album in 1977, which at the time became the biggest selling solo debut in history. The album netted Cassidy a Grammy nomination and a number one single, "Da Doo Ron Ron". Two follow-up singles, "That’s Rock n’ Roll" (number three) and "Hey Deanie" (number seven), both written by Eric Carmen, were top ten hits as well. A number of successful albums and concert tours followed, culminating with a final album, "Wasp" (produced by Todd Rundgren) and series of sold out shows at some of the biggest venues in the country, including New York’s Madison Square Garden and Los Angeles’ Forum. His final concert was at the Houston Astrodome in 1980.
Almost concurrently to his music career, Cassidy landed a starring role on "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries" which ran for three seasons on ABC television. Through most of the 1980’s and early 90’s, Cassidy focused on working as an actor in the theater. He appeared in a number of Broadway and West End productions including “Mass Appeal” with Milo O’Shea, "Bus Stop" with Jerry Hall (in London) and "Blood Brothers", with real life half-brother David Cassidy, which ran for over a year on Broadway.
Following his acting career, Cassidy moved to creating television shows, including "American Gothic", "Roar" (starring a then unknown Heath Ledger), "Cold Case", "The Agency", and the fan favorite "Invasion". During the 2007 Hollywood writer’s strike, Cassidy wrote and directed three one act plays to raise money for the strike fund.
Discography
Albums
- Shaun Cassidy (1977)
- Born Late (1977)
- Under Wraps (1978)
- Room Service (1979)
- That's Rock 'N' Roll Live (1979)
- Wasp (1980)
- Greatest Hits (1992)
Singles
- Da Doo Ron Ron (1977) (US #1)
- That's Rock 'n' Roll (1977) (US #3)
- Hey Deanie (1978) (US #7)
- Do You Believe in Magic? (1978) (US #31)
- Teen Dream (1978)
- Our Night (1980) (US #80)