Inside '70s Teen Idol Shaun Cassidy's Return to Performing: 'Something I Never Thought I'd Do Again' (Exclusive)

The star's new show, "The Magic of a Midnight Sky," kicks off a sold-out, five-night run in New York City June 21

Back in the late '70s, teen pop star Shaun Cassidy would jump through a papered ring onto a stage while thousands of mostly female fans would scream in the kind of way that creates an entire wall of sound.

He'd sing his chart-topping bops — "Da Doo Ron Ron" and "That's Rock 'n' Roll," which was written by Eric Carmen of The Raspberries — and end his show only to often be chased by fans who were known to climb on his car, pull out chunks of his hair and even once chased him out of Dodger Stadium during the 1977 World Series.

"I have a weird career," Shaun says looking back. "I had a very explosive first act and then at 21, went into hiding. And I don't know what inspired that other than I think I was not necessarily wanting to continue on the path of a performer."

Fans who still have their tees featuring a beaming Shaun, his long hair curling over his collar or the ever-popular shirt proclaiming "My First [heart] was Shaun Cassidy" will be glad to know he's back on the music stage.

His new self-penned show, “The Magic of a Midnight Sky,” arrives at New York City’s 54 Below club on June 21 for a sold-out five-night run and offers an intimate look into his family life, including growing up with his mom, Oscar-winning actress Shirley Jones, 89; his dad, Tony-winning actor Jack Cassidy (who died in an apartment fire in 1976); and his half brother and fellow teen idol David of The Partridge Family fame. (David died of liver failure in 2017 at age 67.)

“I missed that connection because I’d been hiding out behind a desk or in my house, trying not to be a celebrity, not to look like the kid I had been,” says Shaun. “And I realized I was denying myself not only an important part of who I am but a connection with this audience and an experience that was really left unfinished.”

"My show's a survival story, and it's really fun and it's funny," he continues. "Surprisingly funny, I think. And it's sexy and it's romantic and it's emotional, and it's revealing, and it has been incredibly illuminating for me to go through this process. Something I never thought I'd do again."

At the same time millions were buying his self-titled debut album, he appeared in a three-season run opposite actor Parker Stevenson on The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries playing teen detective Joe Hardy.

In 1980 he told a crowd of some 55,000 at the now-defunct Houston Astrodome he’d “see them soon,” and then he hung up his satin pants and microphone.

“I’m objective about it now,” he says. “I asked the question, ‘How did that kid survive that experience?’ I’m still trying to figure it out. But I do think going away from it saved it for me. To step back [in] on my own terms is extraordinary.”

While performing with David in a Broadway production of Blood Brothers in 1993, he created and wrote his first television pilot, American Gothic. Since then he’s worked behind the scenes as a creator, writer and producer in TV. His credits include Roar (starring a young Heath Ledger), Invasion, and, most recently, New Amsterdam, which ran for five seasons on NBC.

Now he’s telling his story through songs and memories. And he gives the audience a window into what it was like growing up in a famous family, playing piano at Rosemary Clooney's house (while a young George Clooney played basketball outside with his cousins), writing and performing his own magic act as Cassadini.

“It’s about a shared experience,” Shaun says, “and the healing magic that offers."

Related: Katie Cassidy Talks 'Complicated Situation' of Having 3 Dads, Including Late David Cassidy

And going back and looking at it all again has been a welcome gift.

“For 30 years I’ve been avoiding telling my own story,” he says. “I’ve written about myself and my family in every show I’ve ever worked on, but I’ve disguised them. Working on this opened a door to actually talk directly about myself and my family, and it’s been really illuminating and freeing."

For more on this story and exclusive interview with Shaun Cassidy, pick up this week's issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere Friday. 

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