The Foote Files: Shaun Cassidy And Hey Deanie

(CBS 11) - This talented singer/actor was the brother of the late David Cassidy and son of actors Jack Cassidy and Shirley Jones (I still love seeing Shirley in the 1965 Warner Brothers movie, "The Music Man," with Robert Preston!).

Born September 27, 1958 in Los Angeles, Cassidy was a teen idol of the 1970s. His first hit on the Billboard Hot 100 was a remake of a song performed earlier by The Crystals called, "Da Do Ron Ron." The song hit #1 and he became instant sensation around the world. It was followed by two other successful songs that same year. But his fame as a recording artist was short-lived and virtually over by 1980. By then, he turned to television where he starred in the series "Breaking Away," a short-lived sitcom on ABC from 1980-1981.

He later played the part of Joe Hardy in "The Hardy Boys Mysteries" that also ran on ABC from 1977-1979. He had a brief stint on ABC Daytime's General Hospital. He was the producer of the 1995 program "American Gothic" which aired on CBS from 1995-1996 season. As far as his musical achievement went, he charted four times on Billboard: one #1 hit, 3 in the top 10, and one that got no higher than #31.

"Hey Deanie" was his third song to chart from his third album "Born Late" and his last top 10 hit. It was released in November 1977 on the Warner Brother record label, ending at #7 and 12 weeks on the charts. Written by Eric Carmen, produced by Michael Lloyd, and running 3:37, the lyrics go like this:

Hey Deanie, won't you come out tonight
The stars are dancing like diamonds in the moonlight
And we can never find a better time to fall in love
Oh, hey, Deanie won't you come out tonight
The summer's waitin', the moon is shinin' so bright
Hey, Deanie, you're the one I'm dreamin' of

I was a fool for your love from the moment I saw you
Like a vision in the darkness of a thousand lost and lonely nights
But my heart threw away the key
I was blind as a man could be
Oh baby can't you help me see the light

This song was particularly popular in Chicago on 50,000-watt clear channel WLS, the "Big 89" during the days of Larry Lujack and John "Records" Landecker: the dominant Top 40 station in Chicago for more than 20 years.

Turn this one up loud and dance!