Sean Cassidy’s Return to the Stage
Former teen idol Sean Cassidy is set to embark on his first major tour in 45 years. The pop star found fame in the mid to late 1970s, following in the footsteps of his late half-brother, David Cassidy. His mother is Oscar-winning actress Shirley Jones, and his late father was actor Jack Cassidy.
During that time, Cassidy not only topped the charts but also gained recognition as an actor, notably starring as Joe Hardy in the popular ABC series, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. After years away from the public eye, focusing instead on his work as a television writer and producer, he’s stepping back into the limelight with a tour that marks his first arena performance since 1980.
In a recent interview, Cassidy shared that he’s been honing his guitar skills and relearning his hits to prepare for this new chapter. He mentioned, “I literally had to take guitar lessons. I haven’t played the guitar for a long time,” admitting that he even needed to relearn the songs he had written himself.
Interestingly, for this tour, he’s switching things up by playing bass instead of guitar. He reflected on how his old songs feel fresh, stating, “I haven’t sung them for 40 years, so they haven’t died to me. They feel new.” Cassidy also feels he’s able to sing better now than he could at 20, mentioning he hasn’t overused his voice in all this time.
The upcoming “The Road to Us Tour” spans 50 cities and will kick off on September 13 at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Cassidy plans to showcase a range of his work, including classic hits, new music, and personal anecdotes.
One notable song in his setlist is “Da Doo Ron Ron,” a cover of the 1963 hit originally by The Crystals. This track, which was Cassidy’s breakthrough single from his debut album in 1977, topped the Billboard Hot 100 and earned a Grammy nomination. However, Cassidy revealed that it wasn’t actually his first choice for a single, saying, “I liked the song, and it was my idea to record it, but that wasn’t the song I wanted to be my first single.” He later acknowledged the success of the song, noting, “It went number one. It was a big record.”
Despite growing up in a family entrenched in the entertainment industry, Cassidy has long felt uncomfortable with fame. “I don’t like all the attention. I’m basically an introvert,” he admitted. He reflected on how strange it is to be a once-famous figure trying to regain a foothold in the industry. Yet, he’s embraced his role as a storyteller, feeling he has more depth to offer this time around.
His journey took a different path by the mid-1990s, as he transitioned behind the scenes, producing and writing for television shows like “American Gothic,” “Roar,” and “New Amsterdam.” Cassidy described his career trajectory as unusual, expressing gratitude for the unique experiences he’s had, stating, “I think I’m the lucky guy in the world that can do that.”
