John McDermott shares highlights from his 20 year career

The impact of that moment on the evening news [with Peter Mansbridge] made itimpossible forEMIto keep up with the demand for the CD- John McDermott

Canada's Scottish-Canadian Irish tenor John McDermott is celebrating 20 years of his professional singing career.

He's winding up a 12 city tour of Western Canada in Winnipeg at the Burton Cummings Theatre on Friday April 11.

SCENE asked him to share some highlights over his illustrious career:

In 1989 on a trip organized by the Toronto Sun, I was on a cruise calledThe Floating Film Festival.While on this cruise I was singing in a karaoke contest and the machine broke down. Rather than stop I simply sang without any backup. Two gentlemen, Bill Ballard and MichaelCohltold me after my performance that if I ever did anything with my voice I should give them a call. In 1992 when I recorded the Danny Boy album I did just that and then it all started to happen.

Bill Ballard and MichaelCohlwere the largest concert promoters in the world. Theytook my CD toEMI.EMIreleased it on Angel Records. At the time I wasthe only Canadian to ever appear on Angel.

Then in the fall of 1993 after incredible sales of the Danny BoyCDthe next thing I knew I was the opening act for the greatest Irish traditional band in the world, The Chieftains. Thisintroduced me to Chieftains fans, to the rest of Canada and it gave me my first taste of performing live in front of anaudience in every major performing arts centre in the country.

The Danny Boy CD was released on November10, 1992 and on November 11PeterGzowskiplayed 3 tracks from the disc.EMIhad pressed and released 2000 copies. By Christmas itwas at 25,000. Aformer St.Michael'sChoir school graduate PaulMcGrathwas a producer at the CBC. Hewas moving to South Africa. Before he left Paul decided to do a 10 minute segment on me, my family and the CD.

By January of 1993 PeterMansbridgeclosed the evening news with the piece. This was a watershed moment in my career -the impact of that moment on the evening news made itimpossible forEMIto keep up with the demand for the CD. By mid-summer of 1993 the sales were over 100,000 andEMIchased me to put together a band and tour.

I performedmy first show in Toronto at The Royal Alexandra Theatre in November of 1994. My family was there.I was busy getting ready for the show when my father arrived and unbeknownst to me he suffered a fall in front of theatre. He was taken to StMichael'sHospital for stitching and patchwork. My brother and mother went with him.

Meanwhile,I had told my manager where my parents were sitting because I wanted to put aspotlight on them in the second half. This prompted him to immediately go search for parent lookalikes to put in those seats since he had not told me what had happened since he didn't want toupset me before the show. Hissearch was futile.

Fortunately my father checked himself out, refusing to stay for observation so hearrived in time to see the second half. When the spotlight hit my parents they stood and waved at all in attendance as proud as could be. Idid wonder why he had a bandage around his head. Later he shared the story with me and anyone who would listen.

My dad passed away twomonths later but was able to witness the success of his son as a singer. It was adream he had once wished for himself but he chose to raise 12 children over a career in music.

I have to lump a few together because I have so many wonderful memories...performing at the White House five times; meeting seven Presidents, from Reagan to Bill Clinton to Obama;spending time with Ted Kennedy and his family at Hyannis; performing at Wrigley Field,Fenway and Yankee Stadium;touring the United States with Anthony Kearns and Ronan Tynan and James Galway/The Royal Philharmonic orchestra as the Irish Tenors;performing with the amazing Nana Mouskouri on her world tour in 2003. When Harry Belafonte decided to drop out of the tourshe asked me to join her and we closed the tour at Herodes Atticus in Athens on a stage built in 136 BC with the Acropolis lookingdown on us;touring the UK in 1995 with Judith Durham and the Seekers - we performedat Wembley Stadium. I've decided I need to write a book about my experiences!

Other highlights include the success of McDermott House Canada Foundation in support ofthe Veterans in K Wing at Sunnybrook and Hospice care from coast to coast; John McDermott House in Washington DC - it'sa transitional home for homeless veterans established in 1999;The Hope McDermott Chronic Care Unit attached to the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans and the St. Johns Food bank in Worcester Massachussettswhich serves500 meals a day to the needy.

It is sogratifying to knowthat I am able to honour my father's wish thatif I ever should achieve a level of success in this business I would give back to Canada and to the Veteran community for their service to us and our nation.

Hear John McDermott on the Weekend Morning Show with Terry MacLeod on Sunday, April 6 at 7:40. Don't miss his performance at the Burton Cummings Theatre on Friday April 11.