‘Pass the Mic’ Star DJ Cassidy Celebrates Birthday With R&B Legends in L.A.

Celebrity deejay and Pass the Mic guru DJ Cassidy posted up at Herb Alpert’s jazzy Vibrato Grill on Monday night in Los Angeles for a birthday bash that featured Cassidy passing the microphone in person to some R&B legends.

The impromptu session saw Thelma Houston sing “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” Shalamar’s Howard Hewett turn out “Night To Remember, Shanice deliver her classic “I Love Your Smile,” Meli’sa Morgan on “Fools Paradise” and Chante Moore with “Now That Love’s Taken Over.”

El Debarge then surprised Cassidy on the piano with a rendition Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday” followed by a performance of the smash “Rhythm Of The Night” accompanied by a band led by musical director Adam Blackstone. Debarge closed the evening with Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing” after he invited all the musicians in the room to join him in the spotlight.

Those making the rounds included New Edition stars Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell and Johnny Gill, Anthony Andersen, Russell Simmons, Elijah Kelly, club promoter Alison Melnick, Mark Birnbaum, Legendary Damon, DJ M.O.S., Goldfinger and Steve Rifkind, among others.

This year’s celebration followed a 2021 bash for Cassidy’s birthday at the Beverly Hills Hotel’s Polo Lounge and both captured the spirit of his viral sensation Pass the Mic. The pandemic experiment turned TV series has featured music superstars performing some of their biggest hits before passing the mic to their peers to do the same. More than 200 have appeared thus far including Chaka Khan, Nile Rodgers, Patti Labelle, Run DMC, LL Cool J, Salt N Pepa, TLC, Boyz II Men, Missy Elliot, Wyclef Jean, Nelly, Ja Rule, Ashanti and Shaggy to name just a few.