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| John Mcdermott > Albums & Lyrics |
The new millennium for John McDermott can be summed up in one word: growth.
In the last five years of the twentieth century, John emerged – seemingly overnight - from relative obscurity to stardom in North America and beyond. He became a favorite of audiences from coast to coast, a million-selling solo artist who brought his unmistakable charm and immense talents to the international PBS smash hit The Irish Tenors.
Since the airing of The Irish Tenors in 1999 and early 2000, John has continued to pursue a demanding solo schedule, and is poised to release a new album in early 2001. The new album, entitled A Day To Myself, sees John sourcing his repertoire from his own personal musical experience in addition to the Irish and Scottish classics that brought him fame in the early years of his career. While in the past it has been John’s custom to solicit song suggestions from his audience, for this latest recording he has drawn from his own experience songs and stories by his favorite writers including the “Streets of London�, “Songs of a Winter’s Night�, “Smile� and the title track “A Day to Myself�. John began the process of broadening his musical horizons in 1999 with the release of Remembrance, a tribute to American veterans, which debuted to great critical and popular acclaim.
John's recent performance highlights include: a performance with the world-famous Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra on Boston Harbor at a sold-out Fleet Boston pavilion as part of the city’s millennium Tall Ships finale; performances with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic; and a performance at historic Mechanics Hall in Worcester, MA, a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Korean War attended by several U.S. Senators, foreign ambassadors, and military dignitaries.
John’s lifelong commitment to veterans was recognized on Veterans Day 1999, as Remembrance won the appreciation of veterans across the U.S. John went to Washington, DC as the guest of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. He attended the President’s Annual Veterans Day Breakfast at The White House, and the wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers in Arlington National Cemetery. Later that day, he performed before thousands at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. John has continued his efforts on behalf of Veterans and has pledged to make Remembrance veterans tours each year to raise funding and awareness around veterans’ causes.
The ninth child of twelve, John emigrated from Scotland to Canada with his family in 1965. His striking, pure voice was nurtured at St. Michael’s Choir School in Toronto, and his affinity for both the Celtic tradition and North American standards is a direct product of his family’s transatlantic voyage. Music was an essential part of everyday life in the McDermott household, and John cites his father, Peter, as his chief mentor and teacher. A clarion tenor in his own right, Peter McDermott inspired John to become a self-taught authority on both traditional and contemporary music.
On his singing: “It was sort of an education as you go,� John explains, “I knew the tunes I liked, and I can remember my dad’s passion for everything from the ancient airs of Scotland and Ireland to Johnny Mathis. Although Dad didn’t elaborate much, I have all his references as a starting point for my own research, and as a result my repertoire.�
The loss of his parents, Peter and Hope, in recent years has given special meaning to his subsequent success in the U.S. John places his father’s cap and cane and his mother’s scarf at center stage for each performance in tribute to his parents who gave life to his career, and this year, he established the Hope McDermott Fund as the central charitable organization for all of his efforts on behalf of homeless veterans. The Hope McDermott Fund supports McDermott House, a transitional veterans cooperative named in John’s honor in Washington, D.C., and also recently helped establish The Hope McDermott Center in Boston, a walk-in multiple service facility for chronically homeless veterans.
John’s philanthropic efforts will continue to grow in 2001, as will his musical career. The future holds numerous dates with major symphony orchestras, solo concerts across the country, a major Veterans tour in November 2001, and a public television special in 2001.
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