Scottish Born, Irish descendent, & Canadian immigrant, John McDermott found his voice in the traditional songs of Ireland, Scotland, & England. He also has a strong voice in advocacy for veterans and youth.

April 18^th 2008
By: Kindah Mardam Bey

Scottish Born, Irish descendent, and Canadian immigrant, John McDermott has found his voice in the traditional songs of Ireland/Scotland/England, and also in his strong advocacy for veterans and youth. McDermott is international in mindset, which has made him international in presence; he is someone easy to respect, and here is why...

I sat down and had a simply delightful interview with John McDermott before his Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra performance to learn about his fascination in his family history, his commitment to his causes and his perception of the music industry at a unique time of change.

John McDermott was born in Glasgow and immigrated to Canada with his family in 1965. For many people immigrating in the 40s, 50s and 60s, the passage was arduous, and mostly done via boat journey to port into Montreal; my Mother took a similar journey in 1959; I asked McDermott how the passage was:   

"It was awful. We did the boat trip with twelve kids. We arrived on the night of the Northeast big blackout on November 9^th 1965. Our ship collided with another boat on the St. Lawrence River, so we had to go back to Quebec City and the job that my father had been promised had left without him. The job was at McIntyre Mines in the remote town of Timmons. So we ended up getting a two bedroom apartment in Toronto, and within a year, those old enough to work in the family contributed their pay, we were able to get a down payment on a house and one of my brothers still lives in that house to this day."

The McDermott family has remained quite close over the years "believe it or not, eight of my siblings live within a hundred yards apart, but everyone bought houses around the corner or next door, and now their kids are buying houses in the area. It is like the McDermott compound! Only one sister and I live the farthest apart from the rest of the family. Yes we are still very close, even if I can't see them because of my schedule; I have one sister, who took over from my Mother who keeps me updated on everyone and what they are up to."

An earmark of the McDermott family was their passion for music. John's Father was a tenor, and the famous singer is quick to compliment his Father and a natural gift for his talented vocals that have made him a hit across Canada on his own steam and then internationally as being one third of The Irish Tenors.

"I'll take a pat on the back for having a great voice; I have my Dad's voice, my Dad had the best voice in the world and I emulate my father. I am very humble about the fact that I've been successful, but I have been incredibly lucky. I was 38 when I started; people are usually winding down in the music industry at that age."

It is true that McDermott's career was late to start, but it was quick to soar "My career started on November 11^th 1993, but it was November 10^th of 1992 was when the ‘Danny Boy' album was released, which I created for my parents 50^th Wedding Anniversary, and then it sat on a shelf for awhile. I was on a cruise and met a couple of guys, who turned out it was Bill Ballard (successful concert promoter) and Michael Cole who heard me singing that night and said to me ‘If you ever turn professional come and see me;' and that was in 1991. I made a few copies of the song ‘Danny Boy' and sent a copy to Bill and one to Michael. Bill sent a copy to Dean Cameron who was the President of EMI, and at the time a lot of Celtic artists were being signed like the Barra MacNeils, The Rankin Family, Natalie MacMaster and so all these labels were eager to sign anyone related to Celtic music. They initially put me on the Angel Label, which is EMI's classical label, it was released on November 10^th and on the 11^th Peter Gzowski (broadcaster) got a copy and he played three tracks for Remembrance Day ‘Waltzin' Matilda,' ‘The Green Fields Of France,' and ‘Danny Boy' and they could not keep the record in the store. Then in February of 1993 a ten minute segment was done on me and the connection to the music for the last ten minutes of the news as a closer for the evening news with Peter Mansbridge presenting it. Now the whole country knew about this demand for the album, and it sold like brush fire and I hadn't even performed live yet. So I went on tour and hired a fiddler named Ashley MacIsaac. We were the opening act for The Chieftains and at the end of the tour they had hired Ashley. Then I went to Halifax in September of that year and I knew when I stepped on stage I knew I was doing the right thing, and I never looked back."

McDermott may have been handed fame in a few serendipitous moves, but it has been his dedication to the music, a strong connection to his fans, and his almost maverick approach to the music industry that has garnered McDermott his staying power. Often taking an independent perspective towards music, McDermott has produced his last six albums under his own label Bunnygee Music Inc.

"I think the record companies have milked the musicians for far too long and had they been smart about it, they would have climbed on board with the independent labels early on and worked out some sort of arrangement; whereas now all record companies are doing is distributing, and they aren't even good at that anymore. As an artist you have to control your own recording, but you can't give labels control because that is your bread and butter. As soon as the label has control of your music, you are paying the same for your music that the retailers are paying."

McDermott is willing to be a part of a community of talent, often sharing the stage with talented new artists that bring their own magic and presence to his established audience. It is this altruistic approach that allows new talent to showcase their music to a welcoming audience "my stage has always been open to up and coming artists" McDermott explains. "There is some amazing talent out there. Have the performer not open for you, but be a part of your performance. Hand over the stage to them, and let them shine."

Extending his collaborations, McDermott works often with local symphonies to create an evening that merges Celtic revelry and traditional songs with the sweeping and encompassing sound of an orchestra. "I love working with orchestras! I think that too many symphonies worry about their pops program; just do it. They are a lot of artists out there who would love to work with an orchestra. Every time I record an album, we do a symphony chart for the entire album - so we can do a Christmas show, a Remembrance Day show, a Valentine's show, A Mother's Day show...it's all laid out...take your pick. That opened a lot of doors for us; Calgary is my strongest base in the country, I don't know why, but it is." I have found the Calgary community very inspired by their enthusiastic Philharmonic Orchestra; which is becoming known for its exuberant spirit towards innovative approaches relating to their audience.

"Ironically, the TSO (Toronto Symphony Orchestra) is the only symphony in the country I haven't worked with and I am based out of Toronto. They don't see my genre as part of their program and yet I sell out two shows every year at Roy Thomson Hall. You think they would see the benefit of innovative approaches as a way to promote a strong attendance, such as the CPO (Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra )"

Aside from a clear perspective on making music collaborative and artist owned, McDermott also holds a couple of causes close to his heart. We discussed both the work he does for Veterans and his newest project in trying to raise awareness and funding for an amazing new program that can cure learning disabilities such as Dyslexia and ADD without medication. 

I often have found that when people are dedicated to a cause, it is because the cause has a personal connection to the advocate; and so John McDermott's support of veteran's causes such as The War Amps, Cell Phones for Soldiers, and The McDermott House has a story or two behind them as well:  

"My Mother's brother, Michael was a POW who died in a Japanese Camp. Michael was actually building the well-known bridge over the river Kwai, and on the long marches, Michael and a friend picked up a guy who had been kicked into a ditch who had cholera and although the guy survived it, the two men who carried him contracted the disease and died. The guy came home and found my Mother and told her the story of her brother's passing, and how he died with the Bible in his hand. The guy who survived went on to have 13 children, all of which went into public service, and I guess it was something that was meant to be." 

McDermott continues "My Dad was based in Belgium, he's got a great story...do you have time for a story?" to which I swiftly replied "I love stories," and so McDermott elaborates; "My Mother worked for a photographer from Glasgow and a refugee was brought into her work. The refugee told the story that she had been separated from her twin boys and she thought they were in an orphanage in Belgium. My Mother took a picture of the refugee and made copies of it. Then my Dad passed the copies on to his pals and asked them when they were on leave to go into the orphanages and ask around about the twin boys. Two weeks before my Father was coming home he went into an orphanage he had already checked five times, and a nun came out and said ‘I think I might have a twin as this little guy keeps telling me he's lost his other half and he keeps looking for his look alike.' My Dad took the picture he had over to the boy and it was his Mother. They also found the other twin, so that the two boys managed to be reunited with their Mother. That family is still in touch with our family to this very day." 

McDermott sees the future betterment of the Veterans lives working from the top of the ladder down, with the likes of people like Rick Hillier; Canada's top military leader down to the average citizen:

"I think Hillier (Rick Hillier, Chief of the Defence Staff) is going to be a big voice for veterans. With organizations like Soldier On and a number of other organizations he is involved with. I think we need to get into the schools and let students know what it is that these soldiers have done; to let youth know what has allowed them to be so fortunate because children live in a bubble now and they are too sheltered. We need to get this information to Elementary, Junior and Senior High Schools. If more people travelled, they would see how lucky we truly are in this country. That is where we have to start; by opening our eyes." 

Youths are an imperative part of the challenge in getting veterans causes addressed. Not just schools, but families getting their children involved in Remembrance Day, or events and activities that are associated with Veterans will allow empathy towards soldiers from those future generations making policies of change.  

"The biggest challenge that we face with veterans today is people not recognizing the sacrifice they have done and so they are mentally anguished; which is something you can't physically see, so we don't address that concern. We need to be there for the veterans when they are coming back and source help them. People don't understand the emotional duress these veterans undergo when they return; to the point that some of these young guys are sleeping on friends' couches, with no revenue coming in, being bounced around from place to place. Psychological assistance needs to be there from day one, or else they will go into a tailspin. Something as easy as going to the Department of Veteran affairs online...anyone can go online...this information for helping veterans is readily available."

Ever the great storyteller, McDermott has a multitude of examples of both himself and others helping soldiers and veterans; an easily done effort in many cases. One such example is an extraordinary organization called Cell Phones for Soldiers, which reconditions old cell phones and sends them to the soldiers overseas in partnership with AT&T to allow soldiers to speak with their families back home cost free. 

"I was with these two young men when they won the Above and Beyond award from Microsoft, and I'm looking at these guys thinking ‘it can't be this simple!' but good ideas, helpful and constructive ideas, often are. So I asked them to come to my concert and do a brief presentation about Cell Phones for Soldiers.  AMJ Van Lines was quick to be a sponsor for them and is now running www.cellphonesforsoldiers.ca. So here is a constructive way to help veterans and be kinder to the environment. Collect your old cell phones, or do a cell phone drive in your area and have Cell Phones for Soldiers find a good way to put your electronic debris to good use."

Recently, John McDermott has found a new cause regarding learning disabilities, to champion, that seems to have been taking the rest of the world by storm:

"I met this real character in England, Wynford Dore, whose daughter attempted suicide in her younger years. She was a very bad case of dyslexia, and this eccentric man sold up his companies and spent something like 8 million dollars on research and organizing a program, but this man setup something called The Dore Achievement Center and the results of curing people with problems such as dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, and so on, are phenomenal. His program has been setup across England, and into New Zealand, Australia, and the US. All it takes is five minutes, twice a day, with a type of physical exercise that will help the cerebellum process information correctly. The cerebellum is the gear-box to the brain. Learning disabilities affect all aspects of people's lives. We are searching for funding in Canada so we can open up our first Dore Center in Toronto and go from there. We have a backlash from prescription companies because Dore has discovered a tool that people can use to facilitate recovery without medications like Ritalin."  

"The results are amazing; writing and reading improves, they make friends, their self-esteem rockets, they look at you in the eye, the results are very tangible. This is an effective cure and there is no reason we should not have this in Canada. I think when people get a hold of this information and have a way to improve their children's lives, their family members lives, this program will spread like brush fire."

With such dedication to his causes, and entrepreneurial approaches towards his music, it is a surprise that John McDermott has time to sing to thousands of people every year on his extensive tours. Yet, the stage is McDermott's home, where he feels most comfortable; his songs that we can all pleasantly hum along to, and for some the sound of ‘Danny Boy' or ‘By Yon Bonnie Banks' evoke remembrance of times come and gone, is exactly why McDermott continues his singing.

When asking McDermott why people still have such an affinity for this style of nostalgic music? He answers "Because the music is true; it has realism to it. I tell the story of the song of Danny Boy every night on stage. I try and convey the history of the song to people."  

It is clear to hear in John McDermott's conversation that he has attributed a great deal of his success, talents, and values to his parents and to his Father in particular. The best advice McDermott was ever gave was by his Father "My Dad told me, when this music business all started for me, to be a little selfish for myself. Don't forget to take some time aside for yourself, my Father said." With an amazing career already, a valuable platform for change, and a tenacity towards important causes that helps propel those causes forward, it would appear that the world has a lot to thank John McDermott's Father for also.

Charities:

John McDermott Website: www.johnmcdermott.com

Cell Phones for Soldiers US: www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com

Cell Phones for Soldiers Canada: www.cellphonesforsoldiers.ca

Dore Achievement Centers: www.dorecenters.com

Discography:
2007 John McDermott / Sharing Christmas with Friends (DVD/CD) Bunnygee Music Inc.
2006 Images of Christmas Bunnygee Music Inc.
2005 Just Plain Folk Bunnygee Music Inc.
2004 Songs of the Isles ­ SCOTLAND Bunnygee Music Inc.
2004 Songs of the Isles ­ IRELAND Bunnygee Music Inc.
2003 Stories of Love Bunnygee Music Inc.
2002 A Time To Remember EMI Music Canada/ Angel Records
2001 O Canada EMI Music Canada
2001 A Day to Myself EMI Music Canada
2000 Love is a Voyage, Enhanced Re-release EMI Music Canada
1999 Remembrance Angel Records, U.S.
1998 If Ye Break Faith.... EMI Music Canada
1998 Danny Boy Collection Angel Records
1998 Christmas Memories Angel Records
1997 When I Grow Too Old To Dream EMI Music Canada
1995 Love is a Voyage EMI Music Canada
1994 Old Friends EMI Music Canada
1993 Danny Boy EMI Music Canada