TRIBUTES have been paid to a North Belfast-born musician following his death in the USA.
Joe Cassidy (51) passed away on July 15 following a short illness.
Joe grew up around the Antrim Road area of north Belfast, spending his early years at Cedar Avenue. He helped form ‘Butterfly Child’ in Belfast in 1984 and played shows throughout Ireland.
The band released their debut EP ‘Toothfairy’ in 1991, which caught the ear of legendary BBC DJ John Peel, who invited the band to record their first Peel Session in January 1992 at Maida Vale Studios. A second EP entitled Eucalyptus was released the same year.
The band then signed to Rough Trade Records in 1993 where they released the Ghetto Speak EP and the first full-length album, Onomatopoeia.
In November 1993, Butterfly Child returned to Maida Vale for a second Peel Session. Broadcast in January 1994, the session featured two songs that would later appear on the second album.
Work began on The Honeymoon Suite in the summer of 1994, with the intent to release it that autumn. But its release was delayed due to disagreements with the record company over running order and content. After protracted discussions, the album was finally released as originally intended by Dedicated Records in 1995.
Frustrated by the experience, Joe Cassidy relocated to Chicago in 1997 to begin work on a third album. Soft Explosives was released in late 1998 by HitIt! Recordings, a Chicago-based label that had previously handled the US releases of the first two albums.
Following a lengthy hiatus, Butterfly Child released No Longer Living In Your Shadow as a 7" single on Dell'Orso Records in 2012.
The project name was resurrected with a fourth album, Futures (2015).
Joe was then busy with commercial work plus an act called Assassins. He also re-connected with fellow North Belfast musician Gary McKendry and they made their peace, following an earlier split with a beautiful project called My Bus.
The album, Our Life In The Desert (2020) was about a special friendship and the duress of Belfast life in the late 80s.
Butterfly Child was known for its symphonic love songs but his band Assassins, formed in 2002, was known for its electro-pop dance tracks
Joe even had the honour of producing song-writing legend Jimmy Webb with Glen Campbell in the room. He performed across the USA and Europe including Lollapalooza and has supported New Order, Muse, Travis and Duran Duran to name but a few.
Following his death last week, an online tribute of testimonies and music streamed for over four hours on the evening of July 19.
Joe’s name was set up on the showtime board for Chicago’s Metro venue, with the simple message: “You lovely fella”.
Thomas Dunning, who knew Joe well and produced I Wanna Be Kate said: “Joe was a dream of a friend and a profoundly gifted and hard-working musician of exceptional generosity.
“He mentored so many in the art and joy of music-making, whether they were professionals, saw themselves as creatives, or not.
“His extraordinary kindness and love of animals were as well regarded as his magnificent pop, rock and orchestral creations.
“I will miss him and I am so grateful to have had his love and music in my life. It is an honour that his last musical release was his brilliant contribution to I Wanna Be Kate with the sweet closing line, ‘Put me up on the angels shoulders. Mmmm, Yes!’
“I’m sure that’s exactly where he is. What a blessing he was in my life.
Solo music artist, Kerry Finnerty said: “I met Joe briefly in the very early 90s when he really starting to fly in Chicago as Butterfly Child.
“The bands I was in always seemed to pass by but never quite near enough until the band Assassins formed. I fell so in love with that band and I still am.
“My interactions with Joe were very brief but became closer and good friends online.
“We both made our ways back to Chicago, Covid hit and I was hoping to see him this this summer and as we all know life then becomes too short.
“I never did get to see Joe and have a long conversation with him in person but I treasure the long distance friendship we formed online and all the long and beautiful conversations we had through the interwebs.
“This past Sunday was the Celebration of Life of Joe Cassidy. The turn-out was incredible and with so many wonderful people and old friends.
“Joe Cassidy left too soon and dearly touched the hearts and souls of so many. He was lyrical genius, a poet and kick ass musical artist.
“He was a dashing Irish lad, a proper gentleman with heart of gold and a quick wit.
“He made you feel important and special no matter who you were because he did really care about people.
“He was truly one of the good ones and he made you strive to be a better you. R.I.P. Joe Cassidy!”
