Shaun Cassidy

Shaun Cassidy
Cassidy (right) with Parker Stevenson in The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries
Background information
Birth name	Shaun Paul Cassidy
Born	(1958-09-27) September 27, 1958 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Pop rock
Occupation(s)	Screenwriter, actor, singer, television producer
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, piano
Years active	1976–present
Labels	Warner Bros. (USA)
Associated acts	Utopia

Shaun Paul Cassidy (born September 27, 1958) is an American television scriptwriter and producer. A retired actor and singer, he is known for starring in the television series The Hardy Boys Mysteries (1977–1979) and Breaking Away (1980–1981), as well as having several hit records in the 1970s. In the 1980s, he had a three-month stint on the daytime soap General Hospital and acted on Broadway and in the West End of London.

Since the mid-1990s, Cassidy has worked exclusively as a writer and producer in television, creating a number of television series, including American Gothic, Roar and Invasion.

He is the eldest son of Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy. His older half-brother was David Cassidy.^[1]

Career

While still in high school, Cassidy signed a contract with Mike Curb's division of Warner Bros. Records and began recording music. His debut studio album Shaun Cassidy was initially released in Europe and Australia in 1976, and he scored a couple of hit singles in several countries, leading to an American release of that album in 1977. The multi-platinum album netted him a number-one U.S. single with "Da Doo Ron Ron" and a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.^[2][3] The Eric Carmen-penned "That's Rock 'n' Roll" (which had already been a hit in Australia and Europe) was the follow-up single and peaked at No. 3. His popularity continued with the concurrent arrival of his television series, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, which also starred Parker Stevenson.

Cassidy's next album Born Late peaked at No. 6 on the US Top 200 Albums chart and netted the hit "Hey Deanie" (#7), also written by Carmen. His label ran the same formula as before by releasing a remake of a previous hit as the second single; this time with The Lovin' Spoonful's "Do You Believe in Magic?". It became a moderate hit for Cassidy, peaking at No. 31.

Cassidy had released two successful albums, but by the release of his third album, 1978's Under Wraps, his teen-star appeal had begun to fade. The album just managed to crack the US top 40, peaking at No. 33, and it produced a minor hit in the song "Our Night" (US No. 80). Cassidy's 1979 album Room Service was also unsuccessful and it failed to appear on the US Top 200 Album chart. Cassidy tried a different musical approach for his next release, 1980's Wasp. The album was more rock/pop-oriented and produced by Todd Rundgren with the group Utopia as the backing band. It featured songs written by Rundgren, and cover versions including David Bowie's "Rebel, Rebel" and The Who's "So Sad About Us" among others. The album, however, was unsuccessful and became Cassidy's second album not to chart on the Billboard Album Chart.

Cassidy was eager to star in a role starring as Rogers Meyers in the ABC Friday Night Movie on April 13, 1979 called Like Normal People.^[4]

"A Shaun Cassidy Special" aired on NBC television; Saturday, September 26, 1981, which features Cassidy in concert with comedic vignettes of the singer's life on the road. Special guest stars are Loni Anderson with a special appearance by Jack Albertson.^[5]

Cassidy accepted a three-month part on General Hospital as Dusty Walker a musical drifter.^[6]

Cassidy concentrated on stage acting for most of the 1980s and early 1990s. He appeared on Broadway and West End productions such as Mass Appeal and Bus Stop, as well as the American premiere of Pass/Fail at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. Cassidy won a Dramalogue award for his work in Mark Sheriden's Diary of a Hunger Strike at the L.A.T.C., and his final stage appearance was opposite his half-brother David in the Broadway production of Blood Brothers (which successfully ran for over a year on Broadway). It was during this production that Cassidy wrote his first television pilot, American Gothic, opening the door to a long-term contract with Universal Television.

From the late 1990s, Cassidy created, wrote, and produced numerous shows for network and cable including American Gothic, Roar (starring Heath Ledger), Cover Me, Invasion, Ruby & the Rockits and Emerald City.^[7]

Personal life

Cassidy grew up in Los Angeles and New York City, attending boarding school in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and graduating from Beverly Hills High School. In addition to a deceased elder half-brother, David Cassidy, he has two younger brothers, Patrick and Ryan Cassidy.^[8]

Alongside his parents and half-brother David, Cassidy was represented by former table tennis champion Ruth Aarons, who came from a theatrical family and found her niche later in life as a talent manager. Aarons is responsible for the successful launch of his career in 1977, and managed him during his formative years as a teen idol and musician.^[9]

Marriages and children

Cassidy has been married three times and has eight children. His first wife was Ann Pennington, a model; she and Cassidy married in 1979 and divorced in 1993. From this marriage Cassidy has a daughter, Caitlin (born November 25, 1981); a son, Jake ( born February 27, 1985); and a stepdaughter, Jessica Ann Wilson Kruse (born July 8, 1970).

He married actress Susan Diol in 1995. They have one daughter, Juliet (born March 19, 1998), and divorced in 2003.

He has been married to producer Tracey Lynne Turner since 2004. They have four children: Caleb (born March 3, 2005), Roan (born September 23, 2006), Lila (born December 13, 2008), and Mairin (born June 25, 2011).^[10]

Discography

Filmography

Accolades

References

External links

• Shaun Cassidy on IMDb
• Shaun Cassidy at the Internet Broadway Database
• Shaun Cassidy at AllMovie
• Shaun Cassidy at AllMusic