Current:Home > StocksWho was the DJ at DNC? Meet DJ Cassidy, the 'music maestro' who led the roll call -OceanicInvest
Who was the DJ at DNC? Meet DJ Cassidy, the 'music maestro' who led the roll call
View
Date:2025-04-16 20:01:45
The Democratic National Convention featured a musical roll call Tuesday night, and DJ Cassidy, a Grammy-nominated performer − and now the first "musical maestro" of a convention roll call − led the event while he introduced each musical artist and state.
Cassidy, a producer from California, according to LA Times, wore a shiny blue suit, a beige hat and square sunglasses when he welcomed the crowd to the DNC's roll call as "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge played.
"Now, we're going to pass the mic from state to state so that all our voices are heard all around the nation," said Cassidy.
'Do Something!':Michelle Obama lays into Trump and rallies DNC
DNC roll call songs
When Democrat delegates announced their votes to nominate Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic runner, Cassidy played a unique song representing each state.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Tennessee delegates jammed out to Dolly Parton's "9 to 5" while Texas took it to the floor with Houston-native Beyoncé's "Texas Hold 'Em."
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul bragged about the Empire State's historical significance over Jay Z and Alicia Keys' "Empire State Of Mind." California Gov. Gavin Newsom later praised the Golden State over a mashup of Tupac Shakur's "California Love" and Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us."
Another Beyoncé song, "Freedom," played as Harris made another surprise appearance, accepting the party's nomination in a live broadcast from a campaign event she and running mate Tim Walz were attending in Wisconsin.
'California Love' to 'Texas Hold 'Em':DNC honors each state with unique songs
'Truly surreal'
Cassidy took a not "normally fun or cool" political event, as described by former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, and turned it into something grand, with fun music and dancing.
"The whole night was truly surreal," Cassidy told Psaki in an MSNBC interview.
The four weeks of "meticulous" planning went into setting up the DNC roll call.
The ceremonial roll call of the delegates happened on Tuesday, the second day of the Chicago convention.
Before this year, music had never been a part of a convention's roll call, said Cassidy. And that's a fact he "really had to wrap his mind around."
Who is DJ Cassidy?
DJ Cassidy is no stranger to political events or the Democratic party.
The DJ, who got his start playing at school functions, was called on when former President Barack Obama "needed a maestro," they called him to play at both of the president's inaugurations, his 50th birthday, and former First Lady Michelle Obama’s 50th birthday at the White House, according to Cassidy's website.
He's also played at events orchestrated by Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lopez, Naomi Campbell, the Kardashians and even performed at Jay-Z and Beyonce's wedding.
How did DJ Cassidy get his start?
The DJ fell in love with music at a young age. On his 10th birthday, "DJ Cassidy was born" when he asked his parents to get him two turntables and a mixer.
"His love of music and appreciation of sounds both classic and cutting-edge date back to age five when he discovered pivotal Hip Hop records like Run DMC's "Sucker MC's" and cult classic dance films like 'Breakin,'" states his website.
Every weekend, Cassidy would visit record stores, study vinyl sleeves and learn who wrote and produced his favorites.
The young DJ studied artists from across genres and vowed to play all kinds of music for people all over the world.
"DJ Cassidy’s career is the culmination of a lifetime of deejaying around the world, observing people react, and making people move," stated his website.
veryGood! (3736)
Related
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- Ice-T Says His and Coco Austin’s 7-Year-Old Daughter Chanel Still Sleeps in Their Bed
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry Honors 3 Who Enabled a ‘Fossil Fuel-Free World’ — with an Exxon Twist
- Treat Mom to Kate Spade Bags, Jewelry & More With These Can't-Miss Mother's Day Deals
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- Indiana doctor sues AG to block him from obtaining patient abortion records
- Joran van der Sloot, prime suspect in Natalee Holloway's 2005 disappearance, pleads not guilty to extortion charges
- Killer Proteins: The Science Of Prions
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- 'Running While Black' tells a new story about who belongs in the sport
Ranking
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- Trump: America First on Fossil Fuels, Last on Climate Change
- Treat Mom to Kate Spade Bags, Jewelry & More With These Can't-Miss Mother's Day Deals
- Environmental Group Alleges Scientific Fraud in Disputed Methane Studies
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- Could this cheaper, more climate-friendly perennial rice transform farming?
- Today’s Climate: August 16, 2010
- Even remote corners of Africa are feeling the costly impacts of war in Ukraine
Recommendation
Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
Celebrated Water Program That Examined Fracking, Oil Sands Is Abruptly Shut Down
Climate Forum Reveals a Democratic Party Remarkably Aligned with Science on Zero Emissions
Push to Burn Wood for Fuel Threatens Climate Goals, Scientists Warn
Will the 'Yellowstone' finale be the last episode? What we know about Season 6, spinoffs
Why Andy Cohen Was Very Surprised by Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann's Divorce
Sia Marries Dan Bernard During Intimate Italian Ceremony: See the Wedding Photos
Spikes in U.S. Air Pollution Linked to Warming Climate