SANTA YNEZ — Shaun Cassidy steers his Dodge Ram 250 into the parking zone of the Maverick Saloon and throws open the truck’s passenger door, refrigerated air whooshing out of the cab, the place he sits behind the wheel carrying sun shades, black denims and a black T-shirt.
The onetime teen idol who topped Billboard’s Sizzling 100 in 1977 along with his chirpy cowl of the Crystals’ “Da Doo Ron Ron” — this was seven years after Cassidy’s mom, Shirley Jones, and his half brother, David Cassidy, hit No. 1 because the Partridge Household with “I Think I Love You” — has made a lunch reservation at a winery not removed from the place he lives in Santa Barbara County so the 2 of us can discuss his upcoming live performance tour.
“But the place is as big as Knott’s Berry Farm, and I didn’t want to spend 20 minutes looking for you,” he says, with amusing. “That’s why I thought better to pick you up here.”
The drive additionally permits Cassidy, 66, to indicate off a little bit of the picturesque area he’s referred to as house since 2011, when he moved from Hidden Hills along with his spouse, Tracey, and their 4 youngsters. (He has three extra youngsters from two earlier marriages.) “It’s not as remote as it was before the pandemic,” says Cassidy, who’s spent the previous few a long time working behind the scenes in tv. Via the truck’s home windows, a panini store and a microblading clinic roll by. “COVID happened, and suddenly it became part of Los Angeles — a lot of new people,” he says.
“But I grew up in L.A. and New York” — Cassidy’s dad was the actor Jack Cassidy — “and I always envied people that came from somewhere else. My folks told us, ‘Don’t worry, we’re gonna buy a farm in Pennsylvania or move upstate,’ and it never happened.” Right here within the Santa Ynez Valley, Cassidy provides, “I’ve managed to manifest the family life that my father always told me was important but somehow couldn’t find for himself.”
Now he’s leaving house for his most in depth run of reveals in additional than 40 years.
Cassidy’s tour, which kicks off Saturday at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry and has dates scheduled by March, will revisit the light-weight pop pleasures of the musical profession he maintained alongside his function as Joe Hardy on TV’s “The Hardy Boys Mysteries.” Because the youthful brother of a longtime heartthrob, Cassidy got here in scorching: His self-titled debut for Warner Bros. Data went platinum inside months and spun off three Prime 10 singles in “That’s Rock ’n’ Roll,” “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Hey Deanie”; Cassidy was even nominated for finest new artist on the Grammy Awards in 1978, the place he turned up onstage in a white pantsuit at age 19 for a bum-waggling rendition of “That’s Rock ’n’ Roll.”
“This young man,” proclaimed the present’s host, John Denver, “is definitely going places.”
Shaun Cassidy on the twentieth Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 1978.
(UPI / Bettmann Archive / Getty Pictures)
4 extra LPs got here in fast succession, ending with the willfully eccentric “Wasp,” for which Cassidy recruited Todd Rundgren as his producer. Then, following a 1980 gig at Houston’s Astrodome, Cassidy abruptly give up music to concentrate on writing and performing, which he describes as his actual ardour.
“I didn’t love being famous,” he says, as we pull onto a mud street approaching Vega Winery & Farm. “But I think I needed to be famous. I came from a family where everyone was well known, and I didn’t want to go through life being someone’s kid or someone’s brother. So I had to sort of step out into the spotlight and announce myself, and once that was done, I could figure out what I want to do.”
Why return to the stage now? For one factor, Cassidy says he’s singing higher in the meanwhile than he ever has — a declare supported by his outdated buddy Bernie Taupin.
“Shaun’s voice has matured in the best way possible,” says the lyricist identified for his half-century-long collaboration with Elton John. “But the other thing is that he’s a born raconteur.”
Certainly, Cassidy’s street present, which he’s been workshopping sporadically since 2019, is a songs-and-stories affair during which he appears again on an eventful life he has but to recount in a e-book. “You have to be fearless and brutally honest when you write a memoir,” he says, pointing to Patti Smith’s “Just Kids” (2010) as one price aspiring to. “David wrote a s— book, and my mother wrote a s— book, so I feel a bit of responsibility to represent my family accurately and honestly.”
We’re seated now at a picnic desk within the shade, the place a server has introduced over a number of bottles from Cassidy’s line of wines — the road is known as My First Crush, which is ideal — and a few Greek salads. “I don’t think there’s anything I’d be scared to write,” Cassidy says. “My bigger fear would be hurting people.”
Who have you ever used as a comparability level to elucidate your ’70s stardom to your youngest little one?She has the poster on her wall: Harry Types. And I didn’t say it to her; her mom did: “You know, your father was that guy.” My daughter’s like, “That old in guy there? Not possible.” However there was a sequence you may tie me into. My document had been No. 1 every week or two earlier than Elvis died, so when that occurred, plenty of reporters referred to as me: “How do you feel about Elvis passing? How do you feel about walking in the King’s shoes?” I used to be like, “If he’s dead at 42, I don’t want to be in those shoes.”
Did you truly say that to a reporter?I used to be too well mannered. However there’s a number of fact in it. Ricky Nelson had simply been a visitor on “The Hardy Boys,” and I keep in mind considering that I didn’t wish to be visitor starring on a TV present in 20 years. Look, my brother David didn’t deal with fame effectively. I had a mannequin for what to not do, and I had a mannequin for what to do: my mom, who’s 91 and lives 5 minutes away and is as gracious and beautiful and glad a human being as you’ll ever meet.
I wish to say I’m in present enterprise, however I’m not of it. I like the work and the creativity — I’m not a pink carpet man. She by no means was both. She was like, “They tell me where to go, I show up, I do it.” And folks love her.
There’s an excellent photograph of you within the L.A. Instances in 1978 standing in your yard subsequent to a swimming pool.I received “The Hardy Boys” after I was 18 — nonetheless residing at house with my mother in Beverly Hills. My dad and mom are separated — my father died whereas I used to be taking pictures the pilot, which was fairly traumatic — and I’m like, I gotta get out of right here. The household’s enterprise supervisor calls a financial institution and says, “He’s top of show on a new series making $2,500 a week.” They received me a mortgage to purchase a home with no down fee. So I went and acquired a home on the weekend whereas my mom was out of city.
Was she pissed?No, she wasn’t. She was glad for me — form of. Yeah, possibly. I don’t know.
You went by the entire emotional spectrum in that reply.It was bizarre. I solely lived there for like a yr as a result of now I’m making some huge cash, so the enterprise supervisor says, “You need to buy real estate and you need to spend more money,” which is dumb, because it seems. Maintain that little home you acquire together with your first examine and put the remainder of it within the inventory market, and also you gained’t want to fret about something perpetually.
So someone finds me a spot on Mulholland. Warren Beatty is over right here, Brando and Nicholson are over right here — Valley view, Beverly Hills view, on a promontory with a pool. That is the home within the image. Once I first go as much as see it, there’s a recording truck within the driveway and all this recording gear inside. Fleetwood Mac are there doing one thing. I’d met Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.
Shirley Jones and Shaun Cassidy on the 73rd Tony Awards in New York in 2019.
(Bruce Glikas / WireImage)
What, as proud Warner Bros. recording artists?Simply at events in L.A. earlier than they joined Fleetwood Mac. I used to be out on a regular basis. My dad and mom despatched me to boarding college in Pennsylvania in ’73 — I ditched the whole time on a prepare into New York to go to CBGB’s and Max’s Kansas Metropolis. Danny Fields took me to CBGB’s to see the Ramones when he was managing them. And why did I do know Danny Fields after I was 15? As a result of he was writing for 16 Journal the place [editor in chief] Gloria Stavers was placing photos of me in there with no document deal: “It’s another Cassidy — isn’t he cute?”
Danny was attention-grabbing. He’d managed Iggy Pop, and I knew Iggy — Jim — from hanging out on Sundown as a result of this was the time Jim was residing in Hollywood form of between jobs. Sensible man — huge affect on me. Early on, I performed Rodney Bingenheimer’s membership. I’m there shirtless with a bow tie, screaming, trying form of like Iggy at 14 or 15.
It’s wild that your most chaotic years occurred earlier than you had been even 18.They cleaned me up. I used to be on “The Hardy Boys” enjoying a personality who actually couldn’t appear to be a punk. My earring needed to go.
You ever really feel hemmed in by the job?No, as a result of I used to be enjoying a personality, and my identification wasn’t tied to the success of the present. Miguel Ferrer was one in every of my closest mates, and his dad, Joe — José Ferrer, actual actor’s actor — I keep in mind he mentioned to me, “So, my boy, you’re thinking of going into the business? Let me give you a piece of advice: I have known success and failure, and they are both impostors.” He took it from Rudyard Kipling, I believe. Nevertheless it caught with me. Something I did, even “Wasp” — I don’t view that remotely as a failure. I view it truly as a daring awakening.
One of many nice pop-idol freak-outs, 1980’s “Wasp” discovered Cassidy alternately crooning, yowling and barking his approach by new-wave-y covers of tunes by the likes of David Bowie, the Who and Speaking Heads whereas backed by members of Rundgren’s group Utopia.
“All I wanted to do was work with Todd,” says Cassidy, who’d been sad making “Room Service” in 1979 “because there was so much pressure from the record company to dive into disco, which I was never a fan of and which felt completely inauthentic for me.” By that point, Rundgren had produced hip data for the New York Dolls and the Patti Smith Group along with scoring hits of his personal like “I Saw the Light” and “Hello It’s Me.” “He said to me, ‘You’re an actor — let’s do some acting.’ So we created some characters and experimented with different things.”
The album bombed. “My audience wasn’t ready for it, and there was no new audience showing up on FM radio that was gonna embrace me,” says Cassidy. “I think eight people bought it.”
Having been advised by a Warner Bros. government that he ought to go away — “And he was 100% right” — Cassidy “stayed home for the ’80s,” he says. “My big spending spree would be Friday night. I’d take my rock-star money to Crown Books and bring home $250 worth of books in my Porsche.”
In 1993, he let his brother lure him into co-starring within the musical “Blood Brothers” on Broadway.
“I turned him down three times,” says Cassidy, as we open a second bottle of wine. “I already had a deal at Universal as a writer with an office and an assistant, and I’d sold a couple movies for television. I was on my way, and David’s pitching me: ‘No, no, no — we can be the kings of Broadway!’” He takes a sip. “As it turned out, it was great — really emotionally satisfying. And the show was a big hit.” (David died from liver failure in 2017.)
But “Blood Brothers” was sufficient limelight for Shaun, who rapidly turned again to TV. “American Gothic,” the primary present he created, premiered in 1995 — an achievement that, he says, “meant a lot more than having ‘Da Doo Ron Ron’ as a No. 1 record.” Since then he’s been an government producer on “Cover Me,” “Cold Case,” “The Agency” and “New Amsterdam,” amongst different collection.
“He reinvented a whole new Shaun Cassidy career,” says Steve Lukather, the Toto guitarist who’s been mates with Cassidy since he appeared in an episode of “The Hardy Boys.” Cassidy’s spouse, who’s additionally labored in TV, didn’t even know he’d been a musician after they met on one in every of his reveals.
“I said, ‘Where you from?’ and Tracey said, ‘Miami,’” the singer remembers. “I said, ‘Oh, I played Miami.’ She goes, ‘What position?’ ”
Nonetheless, Lukather reckons that extra lately his pal “started missing being onstage a little bit. He knows where it’s at.” Cassidy, who plans to play bass within the present, referred to as Lukather not way back for some steering on the instrument. “I told him to play simple — don’t overthink it. It’s not like he’s going out and doing the Mahavishnu set.”
It’s half previous 3, and Cassidy has a digital pitch assembly for a brand new present at 4 p.m. However first he has to choose up his youngest daughter from college, so we hop again in his truck and head there from the winery.
On the trip he says he’s been engaged on a few new songs — the primary of his personal that he’s recorded because the handful he positioned on his albums again within the day alongside stuff by execs like Eric Carmen, Brian Wilson and Carole Bayer Sager. One in every of them sounds prefer it may’ve been minimize by Mel Tormé, he says. “The other one, it’s very anthemic — I don’t know, maybe like the Killers.”
“It’s been fun to see him to go the piano instead of the computer as an outlet for his passion for storytelling,” Tracey tells me later, although in fact Cassidy is aware of that followers will present as much as his gigs wanting to listen to the classics.
Who did you lengthy to be on the top of your teen idolhood?First live performance I noticed was the Rolling Stones on the Discussion board in 1972, with Stevie Surprise opening. I took photos and put these photos on my wall. Mick and Keith in ’72 — that was a present. I noticed David Bowie on “Diamond Dogs” in ’74. And I noticed Iggy quite a bit. Someplace in between these three is the place I needed to be. Clearly, I used to be safer than that.
What do you see once you watch the child singing “That’s Rock ’n’ Roll” on the Grammys?He’s assured, however he’s not cocky. I keep in mind afterwards Lou Rawls mentioned to me, “Son, never turn your back on the audience.” I mentioned, “They seemed to like it when I shook my ass.”
You misplaced finest new artist that evening.So did Foreigner. Lou Gramm someplace continues to be upset.
I puzzled in the event you remembered who else was within the class.Debby, in fact.
Debby Boone, who gained — one other nepo child.Hey, in case your dad owns a ironmongery shop and you are taking over the ironmongery shop, I’ve no problem with that in any respect. I don’t know who else. Andy Gibb?
Stephen Bishop and Andy Gibb.I knew Andy somewhat bit.
Sort of an identical deal to you, proper? Youthful brother of a pop sensation.He had a distinct problem, although. That is me being shrink, however I don’t suppose that anyone received to essentially know who he was, as a result of Barry [Gibb] was so robust. And I don’t suppose Andy had an issue with that. I’m positive rising up, he was like, “I want to be a Bee Gee too,” and Barry mentioned, “OK, here’s how we do that.”
David Cassidy, left, with Shaun Cassidy, circa 1975.
(Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Pictures)
What was your relationship like with David by way of the recommendation you took or rejected?David by no means gave me recommendation. I believe it was very troublesome for him as a result of he was at a profession low level. I might ask him, “What do you think of this?” and I may inform he was conflicted about it. It wasn’t that he didn’t need me to have success. However he was in a spot the place it was onerous for him to take pleasure in my success, I believe. And I knew that, so I didn’t discuss to him about it.
What’d you suppose when he posed nude on the quilt of Rolling Stone?I believed it was dumb. That was his “Wasp” second — I believed, You’re placing a bullet in one thing right here, whether or not you already know it or not. Now, I’m not so positive. It’s a cool image. All I do know is he complained quite a bit within the press. He had a chip on his shoulder as a result of he wasn’t Eric Clapton or Jimi Hendrix or someone that he revered. It’s like, “OK, play as well as Hendrix and maybe you’ll be Hendrix. But you’re a really charming guy on a big hit television show, and 8 billion people are in love with you. Tell me why this is a bad deal.”
Why did you perceive that and he didn’t?As a result of I’m Shirley’s son and he’s not. And I received to look at him — I noticed how one can deal with it in another way.
You by no means burned to be taken significantly?I took myself significantly. I’m very safe, and that’s uncommon in present enterprise. I by no means wanted the love of the viewers to really feel like I used to be complete.
You bought that love elsewhere, and David didn’t.He would say that.
Was he not proper?Perhaps. I imply, to my mom I may do no flawed — to the purpose that she had no credibility. However in the event you’re going to err on one facet, that’s a greater facet than, “Where are my parents?” Each of his dad and mom had been actors — they had been gone quite a bit. Then his father left his mom to marry a film star and have me. David would have each cause on this planet to hate me as somewhat boy, however he didn’t.
My brother was a very candy — I’m gonna get choked up speaking about him — he was a very candy soul who received damage and couldn’t overcome that. I’m not a psychiatrist, however I spent a number of time with him. Once more, “Blood Brothers” was nice as a result of it was an equalizer. I wasn’t the flavour of the second, and neither was he. That’s one of many issues I miss most about him — that he was the one particular person on this planet I may discuss to about our expertise.
