Johnny McDaid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johnny McDaid
Johnny McDaid performing with Snow Patrol at Rock am Ring in 2018
Background information
Born	(1976-07-24) 24 July 1976 (age 49) Derry, Northern Ireland
Genres	Britpop indie rock alternative rock pop dance
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter musician record producer
Instruments	Guitar piano vocals keyboards
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Vandit Universal

Johnny McDaid, born on July 24, 1976, is a talented singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer from Northern Ireland. He is a member of the popular band Snow Patrol. Before joining Snow Patrol, he was part of a band called Vega4. Johnny has also written many songs for famous artists like Ed Sheeran, P!nk, and Robbie Williams.

Early Life and Education

Johnny McDaid grew up in a big family as one of seven children. His parents are John and Pauline McDaid. He went to St Brigid's Primary School in Carnhill and later attended St Columb's College.

Johnny's Music Journey

Johnny McDaid started his music career as the lead singer and songwriter for the band Vega4. Their second album, You and Others, was produced by Jacknife Lee. One of their songs, "Life Is Beautiful," became very popular in the US in 2007. It was even used in the movie trailer for My Sister's Keeper. In 2009, Johnny was the first artist to sign with Polar Patrol Publishing, a music company owned by Snow Patrol.

Later, Johnny joined the alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He plays guitar and piano for the band and also sings backing vocals. While touring with Snow Patrol, Johnny also worked on his songwriting skills. He helped create Example's song "Say Nothing," which became a big hit in the UK in 2012.

In January 2013, Johnny and Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol performed a special concert in Derry, Johnny's hometown. This concert celebrated Derry becoming the UK City of Culture for the year. In early 2013, Johnny moved to Nashville, Tennessee to work with singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran on his second album. Johnny and Ed became close friends and later moved to Los Angeles to continue working on the album.

In November 2013, Ed Sheeran shared that their album was finished after two years of work. Ed Sheeran's album, X, was released in June 2014. Johnny McDaid co-wrote seven songs on this album. These included "Photograph", which became a platinum-selling hit and won a BMI Pop Award. Another hit was "Bloodstream", which was nominated for a special award in 2016. The X album was also nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, which was Johnny's first Grammy nomination. Although it didn't win the Grammy, the album did win the BRIT Award for Album of the Year in 2015.

During 2016, Johnny continued to work with Ed Sheeran on his third album. He also co-wrote "Love My Life" with Robbie Williams. In January 2017, the first two songs from Ed Sheeran's ÷ album were released. One of these was "Shape of You", which Johnny co-wrote. This song became the most streamed song of all time, with over 3 billion streams! Johnny produced three songs and co-wrote eight songs on the ÷ album. "Shape of You" won the BMI Pop Song of the Year and another important music award called the Ivor Novello award.

In 2017, Johnny co-wrote songs for other artists like Faith Hill & Tim McGraw, Anderson East, and Jamie Lawson. He also co-wrote P!nk's hit single "What About Us" from her album Beautiful Trauma. This song was a huge success, reaching number one in 26 countries around the world. In November 2017, Johnny was given a special honor, becoming an Honorary Fellow at the University of Liverpool.

In 2018, Johnny co-wrote and produced Keith Urban's song "Parallel Line." He also co-wrote Shawn Mendes's song "Fallin' All In You." That same year, Snow Patrol released their seventh album, Wildness, which reached number two on the UK album charts. Johnny also received the IMRO Outstanding Achievement Award in February 2018.

In 2019, Johnny McDaid co-wrote "Broken & Beautiful" for Kelly Clarkson, which was featured in the movie UglyDolls. He also co-wrote and produced "Underdog" and "Authors Of Forever" for Alicia Keys's album ALICIA.

Johnny spent most of 2020 and 2021 working with Ed Sheeran on his = album. Johnny produced nine songs and co-wrote ten songs on this album, including the UK number one hits "Bad Habits" and "Shivers." "Bad Habits" was even nominated for Song of the Year at the 2022 Grammy Awards. Johnny, Ed Sheeran, and FRED were the main producers for the = album.

Personal Life

Johnny McDaid started dating actress Courteney Cox in late 2013. They announced their engagement in June 2014. In 2019, Courteney shared that they had ended their engagement but were still in a relationship.

Johnny lives in London but spends his time between the UK and the US, where Courteney Cox lives.

Johnny has a special tattoo on his left arm. It says "Nuair is gá dom filleadh abhaile, is tú mo réalt eolais" in Irish, which means "When I need to get home you're my guiding light." This is an Irish translation of the song "Guiding Light" by fellow musician Foy Vance. Ed Sheeran and Foy Vance also have the same tattoo, as does Johnny's younger sister, Maev. The song was written for Johnny's father, John McDaid Sr., who passed away in July 2011.

Songwriting and Production Work