Johnny McDaid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johnny McDaid
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McDaid performing with Snow Patrol at Rock am Ring 2018
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| Born | 24 July 1976 Derry, Northern Ireland |
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| Years active | 1994–present |
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Johnny McDaid, born on July 24, 1976, is a talented musician from Northern Ireland. He is a singer, songwriter, and record producer. You might know him as a member of the popular band Snow Patrol. He has also written songs for many famous artists like Ed Sheeran, P!nk, and Robbie Williams.
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Early Life and School Days
Johnny McDaid grew up in a big family. He was one of seven children. He went to St Brigid's Primary School in Carnhill. Later, he attended St Columb's College.
Johnny's Musical Journey
Johnny McDaid started his music career as the singer and songwriter for the band Vega4. Their second album, You and Others, was a big step for them. One of their songs, "Life Is Beautiful," became very popular 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. This company was started by the band Snow Patrol.
Joining Snow Patrol
Later, Johnny McDaid joined the alternative rock band Snow Patrol. He plays guitar and piano for the band. He also sings backing vocals. While touring with Snow Patrol, Johnny also worked on his own songwriting style. He started writing songs for other artists. For example, he helped write Example's song "Say Nothing." This song reached number 2 on the UK singles chart in 2012.
Working with Ed Sheeran
In 2013, Johnny moved to Nashville, Tennessee. He started working closely with singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. They became good friends and later moved to Los Angeles together. They spent two years working on Ed Sheeran's second album, X.
When X was released in June 2014, Johnny had co-written seven of the songs. This included the hit song "Photograph". "Photograph" became a platinum-selling song. It also won a BMI Pop Award. Another song, "Bloodstream", was nominated for a special award in 2016. The album X was nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards. This was Johnny's first Grammy nomination! The album also won the BRIT Award for Album of the Year in 2015.
Johnny continued to work with Ed Sheeran on his third album, ÷ (Divide). In January 2017, two singles from this album were released. One of them was "Shape of You", which Johnny co-wrote. "Shape of You" became incredibly popular. It is now one of the most streamed songs of all time. Johnny produced three songs and co-wrote eight songs on the Divide album. "Shape of You" won the BMI Pop Song of the Year. It also won the Ivor Novello award for Most Performed Work.
Other Collaborations and Awards
In 2017, Johnny McDaid worked with many other artists. He co-wrote "Love My Life" with Robbie Williams. He also wrote "What About Us" for P!nk. This song was a huge hit, reaching number 1 in 26 countries. That same year, Johnny became an Honorary Fellow at the University of Liverpool. This is a special honor for his achievements.
In 2018, Johnny co-wrote and produced "Parallel Line" for Keith Urban. He also co-wrote "Fallin' All In You" for Shawn Mendes. Snow Patrol, Johnny's band, released their seventh album, Wildness, in 2018. It reached number 2 on the UK album charts. Johnny also received the IMRO Outstanding Achievement Award in February 2018.
Johnny continued to write for top artists in 2019. He co-wrote "Broken & Beautiful" for Kelly Clarkson. This song was featured in the movie UglyDolls. He also co-wrote and produced "Underdog" and "Authors Of Forever" for Alicia Keys.
In 2020 and 2021, Johnny worked a lot on Ed Sheeran's album = (Equals). He produced nine songs and co-wrote ten songs on the album. This included the UK number 1 hits "Bad Habits" and "Shivers". Johnny was also an executive producer for the album.
Johnny's 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 were no longer engaged but were still in a relationship.
Johnny lives in London. He often travels between the UK and the US, where Courteney lives.
Johnny has a special tattoo on his left arm. It says "Nuair is gá dom filleadh abhaile, is tú mo réalt eolais". This is an Irish phrase that means "When I need to get home you're my guiding light". It's a translation of the song "Guiding Light" by fellow musician Foy Vance. Ed Sheeran and Foy Vance also have the same tattoo. Johnny's younger sister, Maev, has it too. The song was written for Johnny's father, John McDaid Sr., who passed away in 2011.
