He is a tenor, producer and entrepreneur born in Glasgow, Scotland, as the ninth of twelve children in an Irish family. They emigrated to Canada in the 1960s when he began singing as a hobby.
His first album, Danny Boy, was a private recording but after finding its way to EMI Canada it received strong sales in the USA and Canada and became a No. 1 in New Zealand.
After his fan-base grew and he toured incessantly he became one of The Irish Tenors who appeared on Good Morning America and The Today Show, took 3 US tours and won a US gold record. Since then he has produced at least one album a year, got a full international touring calendar, has been in receipt of three Canadian platinum albums, 5 Juno nominations and his first solo TV special was broadcast across North America in March 2002.
As a fundraiser for veteran’s organisations he recorded the CD single “Legacy” and he has revived wartime songs for his album Remembrance.
He established McDermott House as a transitional housing co-operative for veterans in Washington DC and the Hope McDermott Day Program Center in Boston, Massachusetts. In recognition of his work on veteran’s causes he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s Bob Hope Award.
A recent business venture is the Dore Achievement Centers for a drug-fee approach to learning disorders. From 2005 to 2006 he took a respite from touring to spend time with his family. Since that year he has regularly toured and released albums as a solo artist.
O Holy Night (Adolphe Charle Adam)
EMI 56765 (CD – Christmas Memories)
Orchestral Ensemble
Vocals – John McDermott
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recordings
The Last Rose of Summer (Thomas Moore and Sir John Stevenson)
Telarc CD-80571 (CD: A Celtic Spectacular)
Conductor – Erich Kunzel
Arranger – Leroy Anderson
Tenor – John McDermott
Fiddle – Liz Knowles
Silver Arm Celtic Band
Pipes – Kieran O’Hare
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