Ted McDermott became an internet star after his son began posting videos of him singing crooner classics in the car. The 80-year-old British man, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2013, is now more than just a viral fad: he has a record deal.
āItās a dream come true for my dad,ā his son, Simon McDermott, told Ā鶹“«Ć½ Channel from London, England. āItās the most amazing thing!ā
Simonās videos, which are posted on his and pages, have garnered tens of millions of views.
One of those viewers worked at Decca Records and wanted to get Ted in the studio.
āWe walked into the recording studio and it was literally an orchestra -- it was about 20 to 30 guys there,ā Simon said. āI was knocked over by it.ā
Ted, who goes by the stage name Teddy Mac, cut two tracks: āYou Make Me Feel So Youngā and āQuando Quando Quando.ā
You can buy the tracks on , or .
Half of the money raised from the songs will go towards the Alzheimerās Society, with the other half going to Simonās parents. Simon has already raised nearly £125,000 for the Alzheimerās Society through a .
For Ted, who has been singing since he was a teenager, music has been a means to cling to the past that Alzheimerās is trying to rob him of.
āMy dadās always sung,ā Simon said. āIt kind of makes him a lot calmer. Like when he does get confused, and he can get in a bit of a funny mood, we know how to deal with that now -- and we need to get out for a drive and take him singing.ā
Music, Simon says, has brought peace to the family.
āAs soon as he starts singing, heās back in his comfort zone,ā Simon said. āItās been good for everybody in the family.ā
