Nancy Cassidy

Bio:

Nancy is thrilled to announce the release of her new CD, Runaway Train!

Nancy Cassidy, a singer/songwriter/past PTA President/mother-of-two adolescent boys/wife-to-one-husband/and all around active woman has delighted audiences of all ages over the past 30 years with her warm and engaging voice and wide variety of songs. Her original songs express her perceptions, feelings and life experiences of being a daughter, wife and mom.

Nancy began singing and writing as a young girl while growing up on a farm in the San Joaquin Valley, CA, with her 6 brothers and sisters. She sang in her living room, to the calves she was feeding, in the fields she was irrigating, and hummed her way through school. As a child, she dreamed about Marian Anderson, the gospel singer, landing by helicopter in her cow pasture to whisk her away so she could listen to her always.

At age 11, her Girl Scout Camp counselors inspired her with their songs and ukulele playing, so she started uke lessons in Merced with Mr. Wakiki. Several years later she took up the guitar and has been enjoying sharing music ever since - especially on the farm, on rivers, and around campfires.

As Nancy gradually studied her way through college, she supported herself at a variety of jobs: Taco Bell, canneries, and counseling at group homes. It was the group home experiences that inspired her to get a Masters in Counseling, and resulted in spending several years counseling teens at a non profit, New Morning, in Placerville.

She spent her summers as a river guide with non-profit, Environmental Traveling Companions, on the Stanislaus River, rowing less financially privileged groups of kids down the river. Later, she was a camp director at an environmental, multicultural camp, Hidden Villa, in Los Altos, where she was able to share music around campfires.

In 1986 she recorded her first children's album, KidsSongs, in Toronto with Ken Whiteley. Nancy was inspired to make her first children's song tape by the birth of her son, Cody. Klutz Press, located in her home at that time and owned by family and friends, distributed her music (with a book attached) through bookstores.

This first album, KidsSongs, was so successful that she received a gold record award from the Recording Association of America Inc. for having sold 500,000 copies. On this album, a song written by Nancy and her husband, John Cassidy, achieved special acclaim. "Chicken Lips and Lizard Hips" was recorded by Bruce Springsteen on a benefit tape for the Pediatric Aids Foundation.

On her Jubilee CD, she recorded "I Wanna Be a Dog" which was beamed up to the astronauts on a shuttle flight, making Nancy one of the first children's artist's with an orbital audience. So far, Nancy has a total of 5 children's tapes, selling over 2 million copies worldwide.

Nancy's life experiences are evident in the lyrics and melodies of her original music. She captures and distills the moments and moods during all types of weather: spirited and feisty, reflective and romantic - catching the feeling of a person, place or situation and produced in a variety of styles - country, folk, torch, Caribbean, and gospel. Her melodic and soulful voice has been described as a blend of Tracy Chapman and Joan Baez.

In 1996 she created her first totally original CD, Pocketbook Romance. In the folk music vein, this collection of songs written and sung by Nancy describe growing up on the farm, life on the river, and in the city. This fully instrumented CD was recorded in Toronto and produced by Ken Whiteley.

Her 2002 Night Skies CD, reflects on the journey of a long term relationship and the ongoing process of learning and relearning how to love. Again, Ken Whiteley fully and beautifully produced this CD.

Member Since:

January 29, 2008

Members:

Nancy Cassidy - voice, guitar, songwriting

Musicians that Nancy plays with:

Dayan Kai, who plays most every instrument there is, including piano, flute, guitar, mandolin, sax, clarinet...he’s on her two latest CD’s, So Much Weather and You Reel Me In. He also sings, produces and is a singer/songwriter. Check him out on www.dayankai.com

Steve Uccello plays an awesome bass...check him out on myspace.com

Keith Greeninger plays driving guitar and sings soulful harmony

Phil Campbell plays creative and skillful guitar, mandolin and bass.

Topher Gayle plays a fun variety of guitar, mandola, tenor banjo, percussion

Influences:

I listened to my mother's mothers 78's when I was young..."Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens", Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald. I saw Malvina Reynolds sing one night in what seemed like a house concert and was magical. Listening to Bob Dylan's records in high school was a break through moment on how to turn a poem into a song. Joan Baez's voice was so sweet and pure. Nina Simone sounded so raw, rich, sexy and deep; and moody. I liked to listen to Ray Charles singing his country songs, and Nat King Cole sounding so smooth and meaningful. I saw some great performers come through Merced...Jim Morrison. Janis Joplin in Davis. Ike and Tina Turner at Almador Lake, among many others. I like the openness, rawness and vulnerability of live music so much more than canned tunes. I like to feel music. I encourage people to write their own music. To listen to themselves and their moods and thoughts and relax into the feeling and let it out. Most musicians I know are happy people, especially when they are playing music, because music allows a person to be themselves and to express themselves, and I think that makes people happy. A problem in our society is people become isolated from each other, and music bonds people together...so I say, the more music the better. I say...walk, bike, open your windows...get out of cars and houses and take down fences and walls. These things connect me to the world, let me feel the world, and that helps me write music.

Record Label:

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