DJ Cassidy

DJ Cassidy

Photographed by Lyle Owerko
Background information
Birth name Cassidy Podell
Born New York City
Occupation(s) DJ, record producer, MC
Years active Since the 1990s
Labels Columbia
Associated acts R. Kelly, Robin Thicke, Jessie J, Usher
Website www.djcassidy.com

Cassidy Durango Milton Willy Podell (born 1981), better known as DJ Cassidy, is an American DJ.

With his 24-carat-gold microphone, boaters, cricket sweaters, bow ties and color-blocked tuxedos, Cassidy is known for his work at celebrity functions, including the 50th birthday party and 2009 inauguration of President Barack Obama, and the 2008 wedding of Beyoncé and Jay-Z.[1][2]

Early life

Born in New York's Upper East Side, Cassidy is the son of Jonny Podell, the music agent. Interested in deejaying from an early age, Cassidy describes himself as a "hip-hop kid": "When I was three years old, I would watch cult classic dance films Breakin' and Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. When I was five years old, I would jump up and down on my bed to Run DMC. When I was 13, I idolized Grandmaster Flash, [DJ] Kool Herc, and Afrika Bambaataa. DJing was my way of contributing to the culture."[3]

For his tenth birthday, he asked his parents for two turntables and a mixer, and began working at teenage parties, school carnivals, talent shows. In his senior year at high school, he began working in nightclubs.[4] In 1999 he began his undergraduate studies at George Washington University, then transferred to New York University, graduating in sociology in 2003.[5]

Cassidy was discovered by Sean "Diddy" Combs while working the 10–4 night shift in the basement of Lotus, a club in Manhattan. Combs wrote his phone number on a napkin and asked Cassidy to call him, which led to invitations to work at Grammy parties and the MTV Video Music Awards.[6]

Career

Background

As of 2011, according to Forbes, Cassidy was performing 200 gigs a year, sometimes earning $100,000 a night.[6] He has worked at parties hosted by Oprah Winfrey and Anna Wintour, and at the weddings of Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian.[7] After he worked at the opening party in 2009 for Oprah Winfrey's girls' school in South Africa, she recommended him to the Obamas.[8] He worked at President Obama's first inauguration ball in 2009, the president's and Michelle Obama's 50th birthdays, and at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.[7][9]

During performances, Cassidy uses two CDJ 2000 digital turntables by Pioneer Electronics, a Pioneer DJM-900, in-ear headphones custom-made by JH Audio, and a 24-carat-gold microphone custom-made by Shure.[3] He has become known for his trademark boaters, cricket sweaters and tuxedos, often in pink and green.[1]

Paradise Royale

photograph
Nile Rodgers of Chic is one of 22 musicians from the 1978–1982 period featured on Paradise Royale.

Cassidy's forthcoming first album, Paradise Royale, will be released by Columbia Records, and aims to "bring back the greatest and most universal dance music of all time," with new material that captures the architecture of 1978–1982 dance music.[10] Cassidy has brought together a 14-piece string section and 22 of the world's most notable musicians from that period. There are no covers and there is no sampling.[11][3][12]

In preparation for Paradise Royale, Cassidy created an iTunes playlist of 25 songs recorded between 1978 and 1982, then set about researching how to make his music sound like those songs. He realized that the producers had repeatedly used the same musicians to create the sound. Those are the musicians he recruited for Paradise Royale.[10]

They include Nile Rodgers of Chic; Ray Parker Jr., who worked with Stevie Wonder and Barry White; Jerry Hey, who arranged Michael Jackson's horns and string sections; Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Larry Dunn of Earth, Wind and Fire; Robert "Kool" Bell of Kool & the Gang; and Patrice Rushen.[11][13]

The album will also feature Mary J. Blige, Chromeo, Estelle ("When the Stars Come Out"), Melanie Fiona, CeeLo Green ("Light Up the Night"), R. Kelly, John Legend, Ne-Yo, Kelly Rowland, Passion Pit and Usher.[14][13]

The album's lead single, "Calling All Hearts", sung by Robin Thicke & Jessie J, was released in the US on iTunes in February 2014,[15] and in the UK in April, where it made number 6 in the UK Singles Chart.[16] Calling All Hearts features Nile Rodgers on guitar, Verdine White on bass, Philip Bailey on percussion and background vocals, Larry Dunn on keyboards, John "JR" Robinson of Rufus on drums, and Jerry Hey on horns and strings. The video, featuring a 13-piece band performing on a pink heart-shaped stage, was shot in London and directed by Director X.[17] Director X also directed the video for the second single from the album, "Make The World Go Round," which was shot on an elevated train in Chicago. Featuring R. Kelly, the single was released in the US in April 2014.[18][3]

Cassidy asked the musicians on Paradise Royale to use the same instruments as in their late 70s/early 80s hits. On Calling All Hearts, Nile Rodgers is playing the same guitar as on Chic's Good Times and Sister Sledge's We Are Family, and on Make The World Go Round, Ndugu Chancler uses the same drums as on Michael Jackson's Billie Jean.[3]

Discography

Studio albums

Title Details Peak chart positions
US US R&B
Paradise Royale TBR

Singles

Single Year Chart Positions Album
UK US
R&B
"Calling All Hearts"
(featuring Jessie J and Robin Thicke)		 2014 6 — Paradise Royale
"Make The World Go Round"
(featuring R. Kelly)		 — —
"Future is Mine"
(featuring Chromeo)		 2015 — —

Cassidy's iTunes playlist

  1. One Way and Alicia Myers, "I Want to Thank You" (MCA, 1981)
  2. Aretha Franklin, "Jump to It" (Arista, 1982)
  3. The Brothers Johnson, "Stomp!" (A&M, 1980)
  4. Central Line, "Walking into Sunshine" (Mercury, 1981)
  5. Chaka Khan and Rufus, "Do You Love What You Feel" (ABC, 1979)
  6. Change, "The Glow of Love" (Warner Bros, 1980)
  7. Cheryl Lynn, "Got to Be Real" (Columbia, 1978)
  8. Diana Ross, "I'm Coming Out" (Motown, 1980)
  9. Earth Wind and Fire, "Let's Groove" (Columbia, 1981)
  10. Evelyn "Champagne" King, "I’m in Love" (RCA, 1981)
  11. First Choice, "Love Thang" (Gold Mind Records, 1979)
  12. George Benson, "Give Me the Night" (Warner Bros, 1980)
  13. GQ, "Disco Nights (Rock-Freak)" (Arista, 1979)
  14. Kool & the Gang, Too Hot" (De-Lite, 1979)
  15. Luther Vandross, "Never Too Much" (Epic, 1981)
  16. Frankie Beverly and Maze, "Before I Let Go" (Capitol, 1981)
  17. Michael Jackson, "Rock With You" (Epic, 1979)
  18. Patrice Rushen, "Forget Me Nots" (Elektra, 1982)
  19. Rick James, "You & I" (Gordy, 1978)
  20. Roberta Flack with Donny Hathaway, "Back Together Again" (Atlantic, 1979)
  21. Shalamar, "The Second Time Around" (Solar, 1979)
  22. Sister Sledge, "We are Family" (Atlantic, 1979)
  23. Stevie Wonder, "Do I Do" (Tamla/Motown, 1982)
  24. Teena Marie, "Square Biz" (Motown, 1981)
  25. Chic, "I Want Your Love" (Atlantic, 1978)[10]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Brennan Williams, "DJ Cassidy Shares Details On New Album, 'Paradise Royale,' And The Resurgence Of Disco", Huffington Post, 10 March 2014.

    Nicole Berrie, "D.J. Cassidy Celebrates His Birthday with Music's Biggest Names", Vanity Fair, 9 July 2009.

  2. ↑ For the microphone, Claire Davis, "All aboard the soul train with DJ Cassidy", MusicRadar, undated 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Claire Davis, "All aboard the soul train with DJ Cassidy", MusicRadar, undated 2014.
  4. ↑ Lee Hawkins, "Deejay Cassidy: Deejay to the Death Star", Wall Street Journal, 29 November 2011 (video interview with Cassidy).
  5. ↑ "About DJ Cassidy", MTV.

    "Cassidy Podell (CAS ’03) – World Renowned DJ", NYU Arts and Science Alumni Blog, 29 January 2010.

  6. 1 2 Zack O'Malley Greenburg, "The Incredible Business of Hip-Hop's Favorite DJ", Forbes, 9 August 2011.
  7. 1 2 Cecilia Vega and Eric Johnson, "DJ Cassidy Keeps DNC Rockin’: Obama’s Spin Master Behind the Scenes", ABC News, 6 September 2012.
  8. ↑ "Oprah Recommended Obama's Inaugural DJ", NBC, 21 January 2009.
  9. ↑ For Jennifer Lopez's wedding, Greenburg (Forbes), 9 August 2011.
  10. 1 2 3 Matt Munday, "Mr disco: Friend to the Obamas, Beyoncé and Oprah, DJ Cassidy is now cosying up to the sound of the 1970s", The Independent, 9 March 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Bio", djcassidy.com.
  12. ↑ John D. Luerssen, "DJ Cassidy Salutes Classic Dance Music - Premiere", Rolling Stone, 16 December 2013.
  13. 1 2 Gary Graff, "DJ Cassidy's 'Paradise Royale' Album Unites R&B Dance Legends With Newer Stars", Billboard, 16 January 2014.
  14. ↑ "DJ Cassidy Enlists R. Kelly, Usher, & Kelly Rowland for ‘Paradise Royale’", Rap-Up, accessed 11 March 2014.
  15. ↑ "Calling All Hearts (feat. Robin Thicke & Jessie J) - Single", iTunes.
  16. ↑ Official Singles Chart Top 100, 27 April – 3 May 2014, UK Singles Chart.
  17. ↑ "DJ Cassidy – Calling All Hearts, ft. Robin Thicke, Jessie J", YouTube.

    "Music videos", directorxfilms, accessed 14 March 2015.

  18. ↑ Edwin Ortitz, "DJ Cassidy Links Up With R. Kelly on His Groovy New Single 'Make the World Go Round'", Complex, 27 March 2014.

External links

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