Ted McDermott was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s several years ago, and he suffers with it, and as he suffers with it, so does his family. But his son found a way to get his dad’s memory back, at least, for a little bit.
80-year-old Ted used to sing at clubs and venues in his younger days back in the United Kingdom. As he aged, and his memory got worse, it was much harder for him to perform.
Says his son, Mac: “Dad was a singer all his life – he was a Butlin’s Redcoat and then he traveled around singing in clubs around the country. He worked in a factory after he got married and still did the bit of singing on side. His nickname is ‘The Songaminute Man’ – simply because of how many songs he knows.”
But in the last few years, Ted has had many outbursts where the family could not control him. So when Mac hears a song on the radio that he knows his dad is familiar with, he’ll turn up the volume and start singing with it. Then, his dad will chime in and start singing himself.
It was a good idea by Mac, and it kept his dad in the present, even with an old song. Things were going so well with it that Mac decided that the two of them would work together to produce an entire album, and they vowed that 25 percent would go to Alzheimer’s research.
So if you’re looking to hear a few good songs, and help Alzheimer’s research, look for the album Song A Minute. You know you’ll be glad you did.
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