The singing Cassadores - brother and sister Philip and Patsy Cassadore - were born on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona, children of Broken Arrow, a clan Chieftain and Medicine Man. From the time of their earliest recollection, they were surrounded by music, for their father was a noted singer as was his father before him. Chief Broken Arrow knew hundreds of songs: some he sang in ceremonials in his role of medicine man, some he sang for the joy of singing.
He had a custom of rising early, usually about 4 AM, and would sing softly for a couple of hours in the wickiup (Apache house), going over the many songs. Philip recalls waking up to music through most of his childhood - hearing the songs in his subconscious dreaming them, until fully aroused from sleep.
These songs, inherited from their father, are the songs the Cassadores sing - the language occasionally brought up to date in the changing manner of songs, but essentially the way they learned them as children.
The singing Cassadores were first popular at functions on the Apache Reservation, but later their audiences expanded to surrounding towns, to the reservations of other tribes, to Pow-Wows and celebrations for non-Indians. They have been featured singers at Burbank Starlight Bowl in California; at the All Indian Days in Sheridan, Wyoming; the Heard Museum Fair in Phoenix, and the Navajo Tribal Fair, Window Rock.