Midnight (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Midnight
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | John Patrick Jr. McDonald |
| Born | April 29, 1962 |
| Died | July 8, 2009 (aged 47) St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. |
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| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1982–2009 |
| Labels | Roadrunner, MCA, Atlantic, Black Lotus Records |
Midnight, whose real name was John Patrick Jr. McDonald (born April 29, 1962 – died July 8, 2009), was an American musician. He was best known as the lead singer for the heavy metal band Crimson Glory. People often recognized his powerful voice and "ear-shattering screams."
Music Career
Midnight joined the band Crimson Glory in the early 1980s. In 1986, the band released their first album, called Crimson Glory. It was picked up by an international record company, Roadrunner Records.
Two years later, in 1988, they released their second album, Transcendence. This album was even more successful. In 1991, Crimson Glory signed with Atlantic Records and released Strange & Beautiful. This album showed a different, more commercial sound for the band. Soon after this release, Midnight left the band. The other members also went their separate ways.
For about seven years, Midnight did not release much music. In the late 1990s, he worked on new songs to try and get a new record deal. However, he sadly lost the only master recording of these songs. To get back on track, Midnight released a small album called Songs from the Attic. It was later re-released as M. This album had a more acoustic sound, meaning it used more guitars without electric amplification. Only 500 copies were made.
Midnight then disappeared from the music scene again for a while. In 2004, it was announced that he had joined with Black Lotus Records. He released his first full-length solo album, Sakada.
After Sakada came out, Midnight did a short tour in Europe. He also performed several acoustic shows. In 2007, Midnight started working with new musicians. These included Matt LaPorte and Lee Harrison. They recorded many new songs. They also made a DVD about their recording sessions. Most of this music, including a 20-song covers album and a 3-CD set of original songs, was not released during his lifetime.
In 2008, Midnight worked with musician Jon Oliva. They re-recorded a song called "Painted Skies" from the Transcendence album.
Death and Tributes
On July 8, 2009, Midnight passed away at age 47 in St. Petersburg, Florida. He died from a stomach aneurysm, which is a serious health issue.
To honor their friend, the remaining members of Crimson Glory played a special tribute show. This happened at the ProgPower music festival in 2009. Several guest singers joined them on stage. One of these singers was Todd La Torre, who later became the new lead singer for Crimson Glory.
Music Albums
With Crimson Glory
- Crimson Glory (1986)
- Transcendence (1988)
- Strange and Beautiful (1991)
Solo Albums
- Songs from the Attic (2000)
- M (2001)
- Sakada (2005)
- All Souls Midnight (2008) - only 100 copies made
- M2: Descending into Madness (2014)
- Through Oceans of Space (2021) - released in 2023
Guest Songs
- Genius: A Rock Opera (2002): He played the character Maindream.
- Ben Jackson Group - All Over You (2005): He sang on the song "Rock n' Roll Heaven (Or Bust)".
