# Ed Cassidy > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ed_Cassidy > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ed_Cassidy.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Cassidy > Source revision: 1354764813 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American drummer (1923–2012)}} {{for|the Australian priest|Edward Cassidy}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Ed Cassidy | image = Ed Cassidy Spirit 1968.png | caption = Cassidy in 1968 | birth_place = [Harvey, Illinois](/source/Harvey%2C_Illinois), U.S. | birth_date = {{Birth date|1923|05|04}} | death_date = {{death date and age|2012|12|06|1923|05|04}} | origin = [Bakersfield, California](/source/Bakersfield%2C_California), U.S. | death_place = [San Jose, California](/source/San_Jose%2C_California), U.S. | instrument = Drums | genre = {{hlist|Jazz|rock}} | years_active = 1937–2012 }} '''Edward Claude Cassidy''' (May 4, 1923 – December 6, 2012) was an American [jazz](/source/jazz) and [rock](/source/rock_music) drummer who was one of the founders of the rock group [Spirit](/source/Spirit_(band)) in 1967.{{cite web|title =Spirit: Biography |first=William|last=Ruhlmann |publisher=Allmusic| url ={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=spirit-p5500/biography|pure_url=yes}} |access-date =18 July 2011}} ==Biography== Cassidy was born in [Harvey, Illinois](/source/Harvey%2C_Illinois), a south suburb of [Chicago](/source/Chicago) on May 4, 1923. His family moved to [Bakersfield](/source/Bakersfield), California in 1931. Cassidy began his career as a professional musician in 1937. He served in the [U.S. Navy](/source/U.S._Navy) during World War II, and after his discharge held many jobs before becoming a full-time musician again. At one time in the late 1940s, Cassidy played 282 consecutive one-nighters in 17 states. He worked in show bands, [Dixieland](/source/Dixieland), and [country and western](/source/country_and_western) bands, and on film soundtracks, as well as having a brief stint with the [San Francisco Opera](/source/San_Francisco_Opera). In 1950, Cassidy enrolled at college to get a musical teaching credential. However, after a year, he decided to move to [Southern California](/source/Southern_California) to meet more jazz musicians and perhaps form a group of his own. During this period, Cassidy performed together with many leading jazz musicians including [Art Pepper](/source/Art_Pepper), [Cannonball Adderley](/source/Cannonball_Adderley), [Roland Kirk](/source/Roland_Kirk), [Lee Konitz](/source/Lee_Konitz) and [Gerry Mulligan](/source/Gerry_Mulligan). With [Taj Mahal](/source/Taj_Mahal_(musician)) and [Ry Cooder](/source/Ry_Cooder), Cassidy formed the [Rising Sons](/source/Rising_Sons){{cite web|title =Rising Sons: Biography |first=Richie|last=Unterberger |publisher=Allmusic| url ={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=rising-sons-p20194|pure_url=yes}} |access-date =18 July 2011}} in 1964. After that, he formed the Red Roosters in 1965, with his fourteen-year-old stepson [Randy California](/source/Randy_California), [Jay Ferguson](/source/Jay_Ferguson_(American_musician)) and [Mark Andes](/source/Mark_Andes). Adding [John Locke](/source/John_Locke_(musician)), they became [Spirit](/source/Spirit_(band)) in 1967. Cassidy sported a shaved head, which was unusual at that time,{{Cite web |title=Pollstar |url=https://www.pollstar.com/news_article.aspx?ID=803643 |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=www.pollstar.com}} and he always wore black. He used a single bass drum, and two large parade bass drums as floor toms. Because California stepped out of the group for a period of time in 1972, following the death of [Jimi Hendrix](/source/Jimi_Hendrix), Cassidy was the only member who played with all various line-ups of Spirit on almost 20 albums over almost 30 years. Spirit finally disbanded following California's death in 1997. Cassidy later performed with [Merrell Fankhauser](/source/Merrell_Fankhauser) in the Fankhauser Cassidy Band.{{Cite web |last=Hodgson |first=Mike |date=2012-12-08 |title=Ed Cassidy, of Spirit fame, dead at 89 |url=https://santamariatimes.com/news/local/ed-cassidy-of-spirit-fame-dead-at-89/article_21973866-4101-11e2-afba-0019bb2963f4.html |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Santa Maria Times |language=en}} From the mid-1970s, Cassidy also worked as an actor, including live improvisation. == Personal life and death == Cassidy had a wife, Beverly, a daughter, Carol Ann Griffith, a son, Christian Padriack Cassidy, and several stepchildren and grandchildren. He had previously been married to Bernice Pearl Wolfe, the mother of [Randy California](/source/Randy_California). Cassidy wrote, studied history, and continued to correspond with fans from his residence in Southern California until his death. He died of cancer in [San Jose](/source/San_Jose%2C_California) at the age of 89 on 6 December 2012.{{Cite news |last=Yardley |first=William |date=2012-12-11 |title=Ed Cassidy, Drummer for the Experimental Group Spirit, Dies at 89 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/arts/music/ed-cassidy-drummer-for-the-experimental-group-spirit-dies-at-89.html |access-date=2024-04-30 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |date=2012-12-08 |title=Ed Cassidy dies at 89; drummer for band Spirit |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-ed-cassidy-20121208-story.html |access-date=2024-04-30 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}} ==References== {{Reflist}} == External links == *[http://www.erjobe.info/spirit/Main/EdCassidy Unofficial Ed Cassidy site] {{Spirit (band)}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Cassidy, Ed}} Category:1923 births Category:2012 deaths Category:American rock drummers Category:People from Harvey, Illinois Category:Spirit (band) members Category:Deaths from cancer in California --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ed Cassidy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Cassidy) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Cassidy?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.