Shaun Cassidy


Shaun Paul Cassidy is an American singer, actor, television producer and screenwriter. He has created and/or produced a number of television series, including American Gothic, Roar, and Invasion. Cassidy was also an executive producer and writer for NBC's medical drama New Amsterdam.
While in high school, Cassidy signed a contract with Warner Bros. Records, leading to his albums Shaun Cassidy, Born Late, Under Wraps, Room Service, and Wasp. Almost concurrently, Cassidy starred in the ABC television series The Hardy Boys Mysteries, as well as the short-lived Breaking Away, and had a stint on the daytime soap General Hospital.
While appearing on Broadway in the hit musical drama Blood Brothers, Cassidy 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 child of Academy Award–winning actress Shirley Jones and the second child of Tony Award-winning actor Jack Cassidy. Shaun is the older brother of Patrick and Ryan Cassidy, and the younger half-brother of David Cassidy, and the uncle of Katie Cassidy.

Early life, family and education

Shaun Cassidy grew up in Los Angeles, California and New York City; he is the son of Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy. In addition to an elder half-brother, David Cassidy, he has two younger brothers, Patrick and Ryan Cassidy.
He attended boarding school in Bucks County, Pennsylvania at the Solebury School in Solebury Township, and graduated from Beverly Hills High School.

Career

Singer and recording artist

While still in high school, Cassidy signed a contract with Mike Curb's Curb Records 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. Billboard Hot 100 single with "Da Doo Ron Ron" and a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 20th Annual Grammy Awards. The Eric Carmen–penned "That's Rock 'n' Roll" was the follow-up single and peaked at No. 3. His popularity continued with the concurrent arrival of his television series, The Hardy Boys Mysteries.
Cassidy's next album Born Late netted the hit "Hey Deanie", also written by Carmen, and a remake of The Lovin' Spoonful'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 was in decline and his teen-star appeal had begun to fade. His next album, Room Service, failed to chart on the US Billboard 200. Cassidy tried a different musical approach for his final release, 1980s Wasp. This 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, Cassidy, and cover versions of songs including David Bowie's "Rebel, Rebel" and The Who's "So Sad About Us" 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 in Los Angeles. Cassidy won a Drama-Logue Award for his work in Mark Sheriden's Diary of a Hunger Strike at the Los Angeles Theater Center, and he appeared opposite his half-brother David in the Broadway production of Blood Brothers. 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.

Writer and producer

Since then, Cassidy has created, written, and produced numerous shows for network and cable including American Gothic, Roar, Cover Me, Invasion, Ruby & The Rockits and New Amsterdam on NBC.
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 has been married three times and has seven children. He married Ann Pennington, a model and former Playboy playmate, in 1979 and divorced in 1993; they had two children together.
Cassidy married actress Susan Diol in 1995 and divorced in 2003; they have one daughter.
In 2004, he married producer Tracey Lynne Turner; they have four children.
Shaun is also the godson of singer and actor Gordon MacRae, who co-starred with his mother in two films, Oklahoma! and Carousel

Discography

  • Shaun Cassidy
  • Born Late
  • Under Wraps
  • Room Service
  • ''Wasp''

    Filmography

YearTitleNotes
1991StraysTelevision film, also co-producer
1994Midnight Run for Your LifeTelevision film
1995American Gothic8 episodes, also supervising producer
1997Roar5 episodes, also creator and executive producer
1997PlayersEpisode: "Con Job", also creator
1998HollyweirdTelevision pilot, also creator and executive producer
2000Cover Me9 episodes, also creator and executive producer
2001The Agency3 episodes, also executive producer
2003Cold CaseExecutive producer
2004The Mountain2 episodes, also executive producer
2005–2006Invasion12 episodes, also creator and executive producer
2008InseperableTelevision pilot, also executive producer
2009Ruby & the Rockits2 episodes, also creator and executive producer
2011–2012Blue BloodsConsulting producer
2012The FrontierExecutive producer
2014HysteriaTelevision pilot, also executive producer
2017Emerald City2 episodes, also executive producer
2017RedlnersTelevision pilot, also executive producer
2018–2023New Amsterdam8 episodes, also executive producer
2022UnbrokenTelevision pilot, also executive producer