Shaun Paul Cassidy (born September 27, 1958) is an American singer, actor, writer, and producer. He has created and/or produced a number of television series including ''

American Gothic ''American Gothic'' is a 1930 painting by Grant Wood in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Wood was inspired to paint what is now known as the American Gothic House, ''American Gothic'' House in Eldon, Iowa, along with "the kind of ...

'', '' Roar'' and ''

Invasion An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing ...

''. Cassidy currently serves as executive producer and writer for NBC's medical drama ''

New Amsterdam New Amsterdam ( nl, Nieuw Amsterdam, or ) was a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''factory'' gave rise ...

''. While in high school, Cassidy signed a contract with Warner Bros. Records, leading to his albums ''Shaun Cassidy'', '' Born Late'', '' Under Wraps'', ''

Room Service Room service or in-room dining is a hotel service enabling guests to choose items of food and drink for delivery to their hotel room for consumption. Room service is organized as a subdivision within the food and beverage department of high-end ...

'', and ''

Wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder ...

''. Almost concurrently, Cassidy starred in the ABC television series ''

The Hardy Boys Mysteries ''The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries'' (re-titled ''The Hardy Boys'' for season three) is an American television mystery series based on the ''Hardy Boys'' and ''Nancy Drew'' juvenile novels. The series, which ran from January 30, 1977, to Janu ...

'', as well as '' Breaking Away'' and had a stint on the daytime soap ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the longest-running American soap opera in production, and the second in American history after '' ...

''. While appearing on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in the hit musical drama '' Blood Brothers'', he wrote his first television pilot, ''American Gothic''. In 2020, Cassidy returned to the stage with his one-man show ''The Magic of a Midnight Sky''. Cassidy is the eldest son of Academy Award–winning actress

Shirley Jones Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is an American actress and singer. In her six decades in show business, she has starred as wholesome characters in a number of musical films, such as '' Oklahoma!'' (1955), ''Carousel'' (1956), and ''The M ...

and Tony Award-winning actor Jack Cassidy. He is the younger half-brother of

David Cassidy David Bruce Cassidy (April 12, 1950 – November 21, 2017) was an American actor, singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was best known for his role as Keith Partridge, the son of Shirley Partridge (played by his stepmother, Shirley Jones), in t ...

Career

Singer and recording artist

While still in high school, Cassidy signed a contract with

Mike Curb Michael Curb (born December 24, 1944) is an American musician, record company executive, motorsports car owner, philanthropist, and former politician. He is also the founder of Curb Records where he presently serves as the chairman. Curb also ...

's division of Warner Bros. Records and began recording music. He scored a couple of hit singles in several countries, leading to an American release of his first solo album, '' Shaun Cassidy'', in 1977. The multi-platinum album netted him a number-one U.S. single with "

Da Doo Ron Ron "Da Doo Ron Ron" is a song written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector. It first became a popular top five hit single for the American girl group The Crystals in 1963. American teen idol Shaun Cassidy covered the song in 1977 and ...

" and a nomination for the

Grammy Award for Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

. The

Eric Carmen Eric Howard Carmen (born August 11, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and keyboardist. He was first known as the lead vocalist of the Raspberries. He had numerous hit songs in the 1970s and 1980s, first as a member of the Rasp ...

–penned "

That's Rock 'n' Roll "That's Rock 'n' Roll" is a song written and originally recorded by Eric Carmen in 1976. It became a popular ''Billboard'' top 10 hit in 1977 for teen idol Shaun Cassidy. Eric Carmen version Background American pop rock artist Eric Carmen releas ...

" (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, ''

'' (1977–1979), which also starred

Parker Stevenson Richard Stevenson Parker Jr. (born June 4, 1952), known professionally as Parker Stevenson, is an American actor best known for playing Frank Hardy in the 1970s TV series ''The Hardy Boys'' and Craig Pomeroy on the 1990s TV series '' Baywatch' ...

. Cassidy's next album '' Born Late'' netted the hit "

Hey Deanie "Hey Deanie" is a song written by Eric Carmen. It was a popular hit single by Shaun Cassidy that was released the last week of November, 1977 from his album, '' Born Late''. It was his third and final top 10 hit, peaked at number seven for two we ...

" (#7), also written by Carmen, and a remake of

The Lovin' Spoonful The Lovin' Spoonful is an American rock band popular during the mid- to late-1960s. Founded in New York City in 1965 by lead singer/songwriter John Sebastian and guitarist Zal Yanovsky, the band is widely known for a number of hits, including ...

's " Do You Believe in Magic?" 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 million-seller '' Under Wraps'',

AM radio AM broadcasting is radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation (AM) transmissions. It was the first method developed for making audio radio transmissions, and is still used worldwide, primarily for medium wave (also known as "AM band") transmis ...

was in decline and his teen-star appeal had begun to fade. His next album, ''

'', failed to chart on the US

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of ar ...

. Cassidy tried a different musical approach for his final release, 1980's ''

''. This album was more rock/pop-oriented and produced by

Todd Rundgren Todd Harry Rundgren (born June 22, 1948) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, multimedia artist, sound engineer and record producer who has performed a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of the band Ut ...

with the group

Utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book '' Utopia'', describing a fictional island soc ...

as the backing band. It featured songs written by Rundgren, Cassidy, and cover versions of songs including

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

's " Rebel, Rebel" and

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

's "

So Sad About Us "So Sad About Us" is a 1966 song by British rock band the Who, first released on the band's second album ''A Quick One''. Originally written for the Merseys, "So Sad About Us" has likely been covered more frequently than any other song on the albu ...

" among others.

Actor

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 The Mark Taper Forum is a 739-seat thrust stage at the Los Angeles Music Center designed by Welton Becket and Associates on the Bunker Hill section of Downtown Los Angeles. Named for real estate developer Mark Taper, the Forum, the neighborin ...

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, landing Cassidy on the cover of “People” magazine for the third time). It was during this production that Cassidy wrote his first television pilot, ''

'', opening the door to a long-term contract with

Universal Television Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Universal Studio Group, a division of Comcast's NBCUniversal. It serves as the network television production arm of NBC; a prede ...

Writer and producer

Since then, Cassidy has created, written, and produced numerous shows for network and cable including ''American Gothic'' (1995–1996, produced with

Sam Raimi Samuel M. Raimi ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the ''Spider-Man'' trilogy (2002–2007) and the ''Evil Dead'' franchise (1981–present). He also directed the 1990 superhero film ''Darkman'' ...

), '' Roar'' (1997, starring

Heath Ledger Heath Andrew Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008) was an Australian actor and music video director. After playing roles in several Australian television and film productions during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to ...

), '' Cover Me'' (2000–2001), ''

'' (2005–2006) and '' Ruby & The Rockits'' (2009, starring his brothers Patrick and David). Cassidy currently serves as executive producer and writer for ''

'' (2018–present, starring

Ryan Eggold Ryan James Eggold (born August 10, 1984) is an American actor. He is known for playing Ryan Matthews on the CW teen drama series '' 90210'' and Tom Keen on the NBC crime drama series '' The Blacklist'' and its short-lived spin-off series '' ...

) on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

. In 2021, Cassidy took his one-man show ''The Magic of a Midnight Sky'' to the stage, playing to standing-room-only crowds nationwide, his first live music performance in almost forty years.

Personal life

Cassidy grew up in Los Angeles and New York City, attending boarding school in

Bucks County, Pennsylvania Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...

at the

Solebury School Solebury School is a co-educational private boarding and day school located on a campus in Solebury Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Solebury School's academic program features a college-preparatory curriculum with cou ...

in Solebury Township, and graduating from

Beverly Hills High School Beverly Hills High School (usually abbreviated as Beverly or as BHHS) is the only major public high school in Beverly Hills, California. The other public high school in Beverly Hills, Moreno High School, is a small alternative school located on B ...

. In addition to an elder half-brother,

, he has two younger brothers, Patrick and Ryan Cassidy.

Marriages and children

Cassidy has been married three times and has eight children. His first wife was Ann Pennington, a model and former ''Playboy''

playmate A Playmate is a female model featured in the centerfold/gatefold of ''Playboy'' magazine as Playmate of the Month (PMOTM). The PMOTM's pictorial includes nude photographs and a centerfold poster, along with a pictorial biography and the "Playm ...

; she and Cassidy married in 1979 and divorced in 1993. From this marriage Cassidy has a daughter, Caitlin ( 1981); a son, Jake (born 1985); and a stepdaughter, Jessica (born 1970). He married actress Susan Diol in 1995. They have one daughter, Juliet (born 1998), and divorced in 2003. He has been married to producer Tracey Lynne Turner since 2004. They have four children: Caleb (born 2005), Roan (born 2006), Lila (born 2008), and Mairin (born 2011).

Discography

*'' Shaun Cassidy'' (1977) *'' Born Late'' (1977) *'' Under Wraps'' (1978) *''

'' (1979) *''

'' (1980)

Filmography

Actor

*1976: ''Born of Water'' *1977–79: ''

The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries ''The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries'' (re-titled ''The Hardy Boys'' for season three) is an American television mystery series based on the ''Hardy Boys'' and ''Nancy Drew'' juvenile novels. The series, which ran from January 30, 1977, to Janu ...

'' *1979: ''Like Normal People'' (TV movie) *1980–81: '' Breaking Away'' *1985: '' Breakfast With Les & Bess'' (TV play) *1987: ''

'' (regular role) *1987: ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The seri ...

''; episode: "Murder in a Minor Key" *1988: '' Once Upon a Texas Train'' (TV movie) *1988: '' Matlock''; episode: "The Investigation" *1988: '' Roots: The Gift'' (TV movie)

Writer

*1991: ''Strays'' (TV movie) *1994: '' Midnight Run for Your Life'' (TV movie) *1995: ''

'' (8 episodes) *1997: '' Roar'' (5 episodes) *1997: ''

Players Players may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Players'' (1979 film), a film starring Ali MacGraw * ''Players'' (2012 film), a Bollywood film * ''Players'' (Dicks novel), a novel by Terrance Dicks, based on the television series ''Doc ...

'' (TV series) (pilot only) *2000: '' Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family'' (creator) *2001: '' The Agency'' (3 episodes) *2003: ''

Cold Case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or r ...

'' *2004: '' The Mountain'' (2 episodes) *2005–06: ''

'' (12 episodes) *2009: '' Ruby & the Rockits'' (2 episodes) *2014: ''

Hysteria Hysteria is a term used colloquially to mean ungovernable emotional excess and can refer to a temporary state of mind or emotion. In the nineteenth century, hysteria was considered a diagnosable physical illness in women. It is assumed that ...

'' (pilot) *2017: '' Emerald City'' (2 episodes) *2018–present: ''

'' (3 episodes)

Producer

*1995: ''American Gothic'' (supervising producer; producer for pilot) *1997: ''Roar'' (executive producer) *1998: ''Hollyweird'' (executive producer) *2000–01: ''Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family'' (executive producer) *2001–03: ''The Agency'' (executive producer) *2003: ''

'' (executive producer) *2004–05: ''The Mountain'' (executive producer) *2005–06: ''

'' (executive producer) *2008: ''Inseparable'' (executive producer) *2009: ''Ruby & The Rockits'' (executive producer) *2011–12: '' Blue Bloods'' (consulting producer) *2012: ''The Frontier'' (executive producer) *2014: ''Hysteria'' (pilot; executive producer) *2016: '' Emerald City'' (executive producer) *2018–present: ''

'' (executive producer)

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cassidy, Shaun 1958 births Living people 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American male writers 21st-century American male writers American male child actors American male pop singers American male screenwriters American male singer-songwriters American male television actors American male television writers American pop rock singers American television writers Beverly Hills High School alumni Male actors from Los Angeles Screenwriters from California Singers from Los Angeles Singer-songwriters from California Television producers from California Warner Records artists Writers from Los Angeles