Spirit drummer Ed Cassidy dead at 89
Ed Cassidy, founding member and drummer for iconic band Spirit has died of undisclosed causes. Our thoughts are with his family. Ed "Cass" Cassidy (May 4, 1923 - December 6, 2012) was an American jazz and rock drummer who, in 1967, was one of the founders of the rock group Spirit ("I Got A Line On You", 1969) Ed Cassidy was born in a rural area outside Chicago, Illinois on May 4, 1923. His family moved to Bakersfield, California in 1931. Cassidy began his career as a professional musician in 1937. He served in the Navy during World War II, and after his discharge held many jobs before becoming a full-time musician again. At one time in the late 1940s he played 282 consecutive one-nighters in 17 states. He worked in show bands, Dixieland combos, country and western bands, and on film soundtracks, as well as having a brief stint with the San Francisco Opera. In 1950 he enrolled at college to get a musical teaching credential, but after about a year decided to lea...