Ed "Cass" Cassidy is an American drummer who was one of the founders of the rock group Spirit

Spirit (band)

Spirit was an American jazz/hard rock/progressive rock/psychedelic band founded in 1967, based in Los Angeles, California.- The original lineup :...

 in 1967.

His family moved to Bakersfield, California

Bakersfield, California

Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....

, in 1931, and he started as a professional musician in 1937. He was in the Navy during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, and after his discharge worked at 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.