24 September 2016
Newsdesk
'Songaminute Man' Teddy Mac, who has Alzheimer's, hit the headlines last week with the announcement of his first ever single, 'You Make Me Feel So Young' recorded at the age of 80, and released on the prestigious Decca Records label today.
The singer also releases today the video to his debut single, filmed at the recent recording session in London, along with B-side 'Quando Quando Quando – the track that catapulted Teddy to fame when his son posted it online this summer – as an accompanying behind-the-scenes video.
Teddy, who has sung all his life, as a Butlin's Redcoat and in clubs around the country, is seen relaxed and happy in the video, doing what he loves. Living with dementia has become increasingly hard both for Teddy, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in 2013, and his family. His son, Simon McDermott, found that when Teddy was singing, he was himself again – full of life and personality, and his unique sense of humour returned. So whenever things became fraught, Simon took his father out for a drive, and a sing-song; their very own 'Carpool Karaoke', around Blackburn. Simon started posting videos of his father singing online, to raise money and awareness for the Alzheimer's Society. They received an incredible reaction, very quickly going viral with over 40m views. Simon’s fundraising target for their Just Giving page was £1,000. He has now raised over £125,120 (eclipsing his fund-raising target by 12512%!).
For his selfless work in raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Society, Simon has also been nominated for Just Giving’s Creative Fundraiser of the Year award.
Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We know music can have a positive impact on people affected by dementia, and that favourite songs or pieces of music can also be powerful prompts for reminiscence. This is clearly the case when Teddy sings and is transported back to his time as an entertainer. We’re incredibly grateful money raised from this single will be used to fund Alzheimer’s Society services like our National Dementia Helpline, which supported Teddy’s family. Teddy’s story shows life doesn’t end when dementia begins, and you can fulfill your dreams even after a dementia diagnosis.’’
Despite often not recognising his own son, Teddy is able to remember the words to numerous songs, which earned him the nickname 'The Songaminute Man'. In today's newly released video, Teddy is visibly connected to his lifelong passion. During the recording session, he was able to momentarily leave his dementia at the door. A natural-born entertainer, his recording was flawless. As Decca Executive Producer, Alexander Van Ingen, said, “Teddy’s voice is truly remarkable for any singer, let alone one 80 years of age. It’s a captivating sound, and full of character and experience; in it you can hear the worldly understanding of a lifetime.”
With the release of 'You Make Me Feel So Young' (made famous by Frank Sinatra) today, Teddy Mac's fantastic voice can now be heard at its very best. Recorded with the Guy Barker Big Band (who has himself toured with Frank Sinatra three times!), both tracks were mixed and mastered at the world-famous Abbey Road Studios. Royalties from the release of this single will go to the Alzheimer’s Society and the McDermott family.
This single also highlights the positive effect music can have on people with Alzheimer’s, and is a compelling demonstration of the extraordinary power of music therapy.
Available here: http://po.st/SAMMONiT
Anyone worried about dementia can call Alzheimer’s Society’s National Dementia Helpline for information, advice and support on 0300 2221 122
JustGiving: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/songaminute
In addition to a royalty paid directly to Teddy Mac, Decca will pay a minimum of:
(i) 5p from the sale of each permanent download; and
(ii) 10% of all proceeds Decca receives from the streaming of this single to Alzheimer’s Trading Limited which pays all its taxable profits to Alzheimer’s Society (registered charity number 296645) under the Gift Aid Scheme.”
