John McDermott, the headliner for Askennonia Senior Centre’s gala evening on Sept. 27, promises fans won’t be disappointed.

The popular crooner said he plans to perform a little bit of everything during his first-ever Midland show, but will focus mainly on fan favourites.

“I’m not going to go out and do (only) new stuff, which is something I hate when I go to a concert,” he told Simcoe.com while vacationing at the family cottage. “People want to hear the favourites.”

McDermott first got into the music business more than 15 years ago, after he recorded his Danny Boy album for his parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.

The album caught the ear of well-known concert promoter Bill Ballard, who sent a copy of the recording to EMI – a move that changed McDermott’s life forever.

While he had always enjoyed music, he said he’d never dreamed of a career in the industry.

“I was constantly singing – that was just part of the deal I always had. I would listen to my mom and dad every Friday night…. We always had a sing-along going at some point, and I always took control over most of the songs.”

However, it seemed McDermott was destined to become a star.

“Long story short, the album was very successful and I was able to quit my day job,” he said. “I was just lucky…. The right place at the right time.”

McDermott’s music is described as traditional contemporary, with some traditional century-old pieces.

“(My music) crosses all the bridges,” he said.

While McDermott acknowledged he doesn’t perform at a lot of fundraising shows, he said he is looking forward to performing for some of his biggest fans – veterans and the seniors community.

“The music itself appeals to them because the songs are based on fact and there are stories behind them,” he said, adding most people are already familiar with the material he sings.

“It’s a bit of a light switch coming on when you tell them where the song came from, who wrote it or where they wrote it. Many people are surprised when they learn how old the song is, so there’s a nice factual historical base to the piece – which makes a huge difference in how people receive us.”

In the years since McDermott’s first foray into the music business, his love for what he does has only continued to grow.

“I enjoy it more every day,” he said, adding part of that is due to having had the opportunity to work with some of his favourites – people who also happen to be some of the country’s best musicians.

“I’ve had the chance to meet and write with some of the people that I admire.”

Since the release of his first album in the early-1990s, McDermott has released 19 albums. He traces his success back to that fateful day when Ballard forwarded his music to the powers that be at EMI.

“At the time, the East Coast music was starting to get a lot of attention,” he said, listing the Rankins, Rita McNeil and Ashley MacIsaac as examples. “But none of them had done anything along the lines of what I was doing with the traditional songs…. When that came along, they figured they had a place for (me).”

Also key to his success, he noted, was the boost he received from CBC Radio’s Peter Gzowski.

He played three tracks from the album, said McDermott, after which it began to fly off the shelves.

“EMI had pressed 2,500 copies to pacify the artist, and they just couldn’t keep up with the demand,” he recalled. “By Christmas, we were closing in on 50,000 copies.

“It was that summer that I realized I should probably quit my job and go out and promote.”

nmillion@simcoe.com