Remember When Shaun Cassidy Scored His Only No. 1 Hit in 1977?

Shaun Cassidy might be best known in the TV and film world, but he did have a music career as well. The son of Jack Cassidy and Shirley Jones, and older half-brother to David Cassidy, Shaun Cassidy appeared in TV shows like The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, General Hospital, and more.

Shaun Cassidy did have some musical success, although perhaps not as much as David Cassidy, who recorded both as a solo artist and with The Partridge Family. Still, Shaun Cassidy released five studio albums between 1977 and 1980, beginning with his eponymous first record.

Shaun Cassidy had three hit singles, with two of them coming from his debut project. In 1976, Shaun Cassidy released “That’s Rock ’N’ Roll”. His second single, “That’s Rock ’N’ Roll” also became his first Top 5 hit. He followed that song with “Da Doo Ron Ron”. Out in 1977, it’s “Da Doo Ron Ron” that remains Shaun Cassidy’s most notable song. It’s also the only one he released that went to the top of the charts.

After “Da Doo Ron Ron”, he released two more singles from his first record, which failed to chart. In November of 1977, he released “Hey Deanie”. The first single from his sophomore Born Late album, “Hey Deanie” became Shaun Cassidy’s final Top 10 hit.

The Story Behind “Da Doo Ron Ron” by Shaun Cassidy

“Da Doo Ron Ron” was written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, and Ellie Greenwich. The singalong song starts with, “I met her on a Monday, and my heart stood still / Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron ron / Somebody told me that her name was Jill / Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron ron.”

Before he recorded “Da Doo Ron Ron”, it was first recorded by The Crystals, albeit with a slight lyrical change to make it fit an all-female group. Their version came out in 1963. Interestingly, Shaun Cassidy later said he wanted to record “Do Doo Ron Ron” because it was the first record he ever bought.

Shaun Cassidy’s take on “Da Doo Ron Ron” might be one of the best known. However, he isn’t the only artist to record this song. The Beach Boys and The Carpenters are among the artists who later released their own version of this hit single.

In 1978, Shaun Cassidy had a Top 40 hit with “Do You Believe In Magic”. That song remains the final hit of his career.

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