TED MCDERMOTT - THE SONGAMINUTE MAN
"Dad was a singer all his life - he was a Butlin's Redcoat and then travelled around singing in clubs around the country. He worked in a factory after he got married and still did the bit of singing on the side. His nickname is The Songaminute Man - simply because of how many songs he knows. In the last few years his memory has deteriorated a lot - often not recognizing family and with many aggressive episodes. However, now when we've got him singing again he's back in the room. It's these moments that we treasure." -Simon McDermott
Ted McDermott is now 80 years with deteriorating Alzheimer's disease. His son, Simon, captured this heartwarming Dashcam footage last summer of him and his father driving around and crooning away to the old-time hit Quando, Quando, Quando. The viral video landed Ted a record deal with Decca Records and he released his first single in September. All royalties from sales of the album were split between the Alzheimer's Society and a fund to help care for Ted and his wife. On his own, Simon has already raised over $220,000 for the Alzheimer's Society after starting a JustGiving page for his dad.
I encourage you to visit Simon's JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/songaminute and like The Songaminute Man's page on Facebook. This is a beautiful story of how the power of music can forge unforgettable memories and keep both the human spirit and relationship between a father and son alive during the most difficult and precious of times.
Happy Father's Day weekend to all and best wishes of good health to you and yours!