Well another year has come and gone and what a year it was. I want to say thank you for all of the great support you continue to give me – we simply could not do it without you. For 23 years you have been faithful and supportive and because of that you have allowed me to continue to perform each and every year. So many great shows and trips to new and old stomping grounds – from St Andrews in Scotland to Tignish Prince Edward Island – we have met new and old friends along the way. Once again we have a busy schedule planned for 2017 and we would like to wish each and every one of you a very happy new year. We hope its your best one ever.
– John, Jason, Maury, Mark and Mick
New Shows
The tour schedule for 2017 is almost complete and is posted on the site now, with more dates to be added over the next few months.
The Book
The book is in the final editing process and will be available in the late spring. We will let everyone know ahead of time and make sure you will have the opportunity to get to order an autographed, personalized copy. It has been a long time in the works and gathering the stories from those far and near who have impacted my career and my life has been amazing. From the early days beginning in 1993 I have been blessed with so many friends and experienced the world a number of times over. I have asked as many of those people as possible to share their stories on how the music impacted their lives and each has had a wonderful tale to tell. I know that you will share the emotional highs and lows of my career and the path that has unfolded as my musical life’s journey.
A New Recording
My recent release “Raised on Songs and Stories“ was a tribute to my Scottish roots and I believe is one of the best recordings we have done to date. The follow up this Spring will be a tribute to my Irish roots, and once again a collaboration with my great friend Eric Robertson. I am going to take us back over the centuries and share with you the stories from those old traditional Irish masterpieces that have been a part of me my entire life. I have been collecting stories from across Ireland of that older generation who have shared with me how the songs we are recording have been a part of their lives and their families over several generations. Each track will be connected by a story told by one of those individuals on what that song means to them.
A New Double DVD Release
I am releasing 2 DVDs that contain primarily unseen footage of events between 1992 and 2001. The first DVD is a remastered PBS show that has never been aired. It was shot in 2001 on the Atlantic coast and covers a broad span of my musical works and influences. The second is a documentary shot in 1996 titled “ John McDermott – The Voyage “. We will post a more detailed breakdown of each DVD upon release.
McDermott House Canada
We are closing in on our goal of 3.6 million for the renovation and expansion of the Palliative Care Unit in K Wing – the Veterans Wing at Sunnybrook Health Sciences in Toronto. To date we have raised 2.5 million and we are confident our efforts in the coming year will put us over the top. The first phase of construction is complete and phase 2 will begin in 2017. Please visit the website to view the renovations to date and preview future plans for phases 2 and 3.
We embark on a somewhat new and exciting direction in 2018 – I have welcomed two new members to our band: Sheila Carabine and Amanda Walther. Sheila and Amanda are the extraordinary folk group known as Dala and we will be doing a lot of shows together in the coming months and for the entire 2018 Christmas tour. They are a joy to work with and share a stage with. We will be recording a new Christmas CD with Sheila and Amanda early in 2018 for release in the fall.
We lost this beautiful little man one year ago today. So many wonderful memories, we miss him so much but he still fills our days with his presence.
