What is Shaun Cassidy's Net Worth?
Shaun Cassidy is a singer, actor, producer, and screenwriter who has a net worth of $10 million. The eldest son of actors Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy, he got his start as a singer in the 1970s with his hit albums "Shaun Cassidy" and "Born Late." Since then, he has acted in many television series and stage productions, and has created and written such television shows as "American Gothic" and "Invasion."
Early Life and Education
Shaun Cassidy was born on September 27, 1958 in Los Angeles, California as the eldest son of Academy Award-winning actress Shirley Jones and Tony Award-winning actor Jack Cassidy. His brothers are Patrick and Ryan; he is also the younger half-brother of actor and singer-songwriter David Cassidy. Due to his parents' work in show business, he grew up in both Los Angeles and New York City, and attended boarding school in Pennsylvania. As a teenager, Cassidy graduated from Beverly Hills High School.
Music Career
While still a high school student, Cassidy signed a contract with Warner Bros. Records. He went on to release his self-titled debut album in 1976 in Europe and Australia, followed by a US release in 1977. The album included Cassidy's cover of the Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron," which became a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100, plus the Eric Carmen-penned "That's Rock 'n' Roll," which reached number three on the chart. Cassidy subsequently released his second album, "Born Late," which yielded the hit single "Hey Deanie." On this album, he began writing his own material, including the tracks "Teen Dream" and "Walk Away."
Following the commercial success of his first two albums, Cassidy's popularity as a singer and teen idol began to decline with his third album, 1978's "Under Wraps." His fourth album, 1979's "Room Service," failed to even chart on the Billboard 200. For his fifth and final album, 1980's "Wasp," Cassidy decided to go in a different musical direction, taking a more rock-oriented approach. The album featured songs penned by Todd Rundgren, as well as covers of songs by such artists as the Animals, the Who, and David Bowie. However, this new, edgier tack was not enough to win back audiences, as the album became Cassidy's second in a row to not chart.
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Television Career
Cassidy had his first major acting role from 1977 to 1979, starring as Joe Hardy on the ABC television mystery series "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries," based on the juvenile novels of the same name. After that, he starred as Dave Stohler on the short-lived series "Breaking Away," a prequel to the Peter Yates film of the same name. In 1987, Cassidy had a regular role on the daytime soap opera "General Hospital" and a guest role on the crime drama series "Murder, She Wrote." The following year, he appeared in the television films "Once Upon a Texas Train" and "Roots: The Gift," and was in an episode of the mystery legal drama series "Matlock."
In the 1990s, Cassidy began writing and producing for television. He wrote the television films "Strays" and "Midnight Run for Your Life," and in 1995 created his first show, the CBS horror series "American Gothic." Cassidy also wrote eight episodes of the series, which lasted a single season before being canceled in 1996. He went on to create his second show, the Fox fantasy adventure series "Roar," in 1997; it was also short-lived, and was canceled after eight episodes. Cassidy's third series as creator, "Cover Me," ran on the USA Network from 2000 to 2001. He later created the science-fiction series "Invasion" and the comedy "Ruby & the Rockits," both of which were short-lived. From 2018 to 2023, Cassidy wrote for the NBC medical drama series "New Amsterdam."
Stage Career
Cassidy acted in a number of theatrical productions throughout the 1980s and 90s. His credits included Broadway and West End productions such as "Bus Stop" and "Mass Appeal," as well as the US premiere of "Pass/Fail" in Los Angeles. For his role in Mark Sheriden's "Diary of a Hunger Strike," Cassidy won a Drama-Logue Award. He went on to act opposite his half-brother David on Broadway in the hit musical "Blood Brothers." After a long break from the stage, Cassidy returned in 2021 with his one-man touring music show "The Magic of a Midnight Sky," which played to standing-room-only crowds across the US.
Personal Life
Cassidy married his first wife, Playboy Playmate and actress Ann Pennington, in 1979. The couple had a daughter named Caitlin and a son named Jake before divorcing in 1993. Two years later, Cassidy wed actress Susan Diol, with whom he had a daughter named Juliet before divorcing in 2003. He married his third wife, producer Tracey Lynn Turner, in 2004; they have four children named Caleb, Roan, Lila, and Mairin.
