In the last five years of the twentieth century, John emerged � seemingly overnight - from relative obscurity to stardom in North America and beyond.
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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.
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...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.
Sing365.com
source: John Mcdermott Online
