From Award-Winning Journalist to Recording Artist: the Musical Journey of Evrod Cassimy

From a young age, Evrod Cassimy gravitated to music, singing in his church’s choir and showing an early acumen for songwriting. His mother, seeing his strong storytelling ability, encouraged him to get into journalism and by age 18, he was attending Chicago’s Columbia College for broadcast journalism.

Cassimy proved to be a premier talent in the broadcast news world and enjoy a swift upward ascent, enjoying stints as an anchor/reporter in Madison, Wisconsin; Orlando, Florida; Richmond, Virginia; and Denver, Colorado. While Cassimy still had a deep love for music, his news contemporaries strongly encouraged him to focus on his career and suppress his interest in music, relegating it to a hobby.

It wasn’t until his move to the Detroit market as morning anchor at WDIV-TV 4 that Cassimy returned to music. Cassimy was asked to perform at a Local 4 Christmas party and his colleagues were impressed, resulting in other invitations to various venues around town. Being in a rich musical hub, Cassimy’s passion for music was not only encouraged, but cultivated by the people around him.

As a news anchor, family man, husband, father, philanthropist and musical soothsayer, Cassimy has come full circle and music listeners are all the better for it.

Listen to 5 essential tracks from Evrod Cassimy:

1. “90s R&B”

Cassimy’s reignited passion for his art led him to release his debut album Newzic (a play on words combining his two great passions, “news” and “music”). With influences ranging from Usher and Brian McKnight all the way to Boyz II Men, Cassimy draws on his ’90s R & B and early 2000s influences in his work.

2. “Turn It Up”

The follow-up to Newzic, Cassimy’s sophomore release titled Just Evrod features appearances by the late Aretha Franklin, with whom Cassimy shared a musical kinship and friendship with, along with various other guests. The release demonstrated his propensity for gospel-tinged R&B rooted in themes of love and the complexities of relationships.

3. “#Feels”

Cassimy knew early on that he wanted to do more with his music than just be a creator; he also wanted to engage with the business of music and use it as a vehicle to give back. He started his own record label, Everything Evrod Entertainment, and has used proceeds and merchandise related to his musical performances to help fund educational initiatives for Detroit Public Schools students in the areas of academics, athletics, and of course fine arts.

4. “Trapped”

As a veteran news reporter who has covered numerous national events, Cassimy is one of the area’s most decorated journalists. He has won the Associated Press Award for “Best Breaking News Coverage,” and has been nominated for the Emmy Award six times. His grasp of the human-interest side of news reporting colors his music to the point where there is an authenticity and elevated sense of humanity by which he approaches his craft.

5. “U Know, U Know”

Cassimy has made his mark and enjoyed an ascendant trajectory as a singer/songwriter and live performer, having opened for acts such as Patti LaBelle, Boyz II Men and En Vogue. Not resting on his laurels as both a journalist and music artisan, he has devoted a significant amount of his time to various philanthropic efforts, helping fund various area high school music programs and other empowerment initiatives that promote art in the schools.