Former teen idol Shaun Cassidy had to relearn his own hits for first major tour in 45 years

Former teen idol Shaun Cassidy is embarking on his first major tour in 45 years.

The 66-year-old son of Oscar-winning actress Shirley Jones, 91, and the late Tony Award-winning actor Jack Cassidy rose to fame in the mid-to-late 1970s as a pop star after following in the footsteps of his late half brother, David Cassidy. 

At the same time, Cassidy also found success as an actor, starring as Joe Hardy in the hit ABC series “The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries.”

However, he stepped back from the spotlight decades ago to focus on a career behind the scenes as a television writer and producer. Now, Cassidy is returning to the public eye as he launches his first arena tour since 1980.

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During an interview with People magazine, Cassidy revealed that he has been brushing up on his guitar skills and relearning his own hits as he prepares to hit the road once again.

“I literally had to take guitar lessons. I hadn’t played guitar in so long,” he said. “I had to relearn songs I had written. I didn’t know how to play them.”

For his upcoming tour, Cassidy told the outlet that he is taking the fresh challenge of playing bass instead of guitar. He also shared that his old songs feel new to him after his decadeslong hiatus from performing.

“Because I haven’t been singing them for 40 years, they’re not dead to me. They feel new, and I’m only singing the songs I really liked back then that feel appropriate to me singing now,” Cassidy said. “I can sing better than I sang when I was 20 because I haven’t been singing. I think I didn’t burn my voice out for 40 years.”

Cassidy’s 50-city “The Road to Us Tour,” the longest of his career, will kick off Sept. 13 at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. The singer told People that the tour will span his full career, featuring classic hits, new music and personal stories.

The setlist will include Cassidy’s cover of “Da Doo Ron Ron,” originally a 1963 song by the girl group The Crystals. “Da Doo Ron Ron” was the first single released from Cassidy’s self-titled debut album in 1977. The song became Cassidy’s first major hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart and helping him earn a Grammy Award nomination for best new artist.

However, Cassidy told People that “Da Doo Ron Ron” wasn’t his choice for the single that would launch his music career.

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“I liked the song. It was my idea to record it,” Cassidy said.

“But that wasn’t the song I wanted to be the first single off my album,” he continued. “I didn’t get a vote, and I guess they were right. It went to No. 1. It was a big record, but there were like three or four other songs I would’ve preferred or chosen. And by the way, that’s been the case with every record I’ve made.”

Despite being raised in a show business family, Cassidy admitted that he was never really comfortable in the limelight during his time as a teen heartthrob.

“I’ve never enjoyed being a public figure. I don’t like all the attention. I’m basically an introvert. I don’t really like being famous,” he told People. “But the only thing more ridiculous than being famous is being formerly famous, because you’re still famous, but a lot of people don’t necessarily know why anymore. And if it were up to me, I’d prefer neither of those things.”

“For years, I was like, I don’t want to [tour] because I’ll just be trying to replicate some version of myself at 20, which I always thought would be embarrassing and why try?” Cassidy said.

“But I discovered, and the audience told me this, that I didn’t need to do that because I had actually all these other cards I could play,” he added. “Now I’m a storyteller.”

By the mid-1990s, Cassidy had shifted almost completely to behind the scenes in Hollywood. For the past few decades, he has worked as a television writer and producer, launching shows including “American Gothic,” “Roar” and “New Amsterdam.”

While speaking with People, Cassidy acknowledged that the trajectory of his career was unusual.

“It’s a weird résumé,” he said. “I don’t know anybody else that plays the Houston Astrodome for 55,000 people, says, ‘Goodnight and see you soon,’ and then doesn’t show up again for 40 years, but that’s kind of what I did.”

“I think I’m the luckiest person in the world that I can do that,” Cassidy added.