Eamonn McCrystal

Eamonn McCrystal (born 1 June 1987)[1] is a multi-Emmy Award winning[2][3] Northern Irish pop tenor, actor, TV host[4] and producer[5] based in Los Angeles, California.[6]

Eamonn McCrystal
McCrystal in Belfast, 2016
Background information
Born	(1987-06-01) 1 June 1987 Cookstown, Northern Ireland
Genres	Pop, easy listening, vocal, traditional vocal pop
Occupation(s)	Singer, Actor, TV host and Producer
Instruments	Vocals, piano, flute
Years active	2000–present
Labels	Hedgehog Records
Associated acts	Randy Travis Walter Afanasieff Brad Ellis Kristin Chenoweth Nigel Wright Rita Wilson
Website	eamonn.net

Early life

McCrystal was born to Jim and Ann McCrystal, nursing home owners, in Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland.[7][8] He attended Holy Trinity College in Cookstown, where he learned to play the piano and the flute.[1] In his late teen years, he seriously considered joining the priesthood, but was advised by local cardinal Sean Brady to pursue his music career instead.[7] He studied to be a teacher of Religious Education and English at St Mary's University College, Belfast[9] before moving to London, England to pursue a career in Media.[6]

Career

Early career

McCrystal's debut radio broadcast was at the age of nine, on the George Jones Show on BBC Radio Ulster.[10] He released his first album, After the Storm, in 2000, at the age of 13. Over the course of the decade, he independently recorded three more albums, and toured around Ireland with a 15-piece band.[11]

Move to U.S.

In 2009, McCrystal was working as a stage manager at the UTV Country Fest in Belfast, headlined that year by Randy Travis. McCrystal was driving Travis's then-wife and manager Elizabeth Travis to Dublin, and gave her a copy of Eamonn McCrystal Live. After listening to the album, she gave McCrystal a slot as a guest artist on the Randy Travis tour, signed him to a contract with Elizabeth Travis Management, and brought him to Los Angeles, where he is currently based.[6][7][10]

In 2011, McCrystal recorded his first US album, When in Nashville..., produced by Kyle Lehning, composed of six covers and six original compositions by outside songwriters.[8] Later that year, McCrystal sang with Randy Travis on "Someone You Never Knew" on his album Anniversary Celebration.[12] In 2012, McCrystal released the single "Under Your Wings," a ballad written by Walter Afanasieff.[13] McCrystal's musical director Brad Ellis accompanies him on the track.[10]

McCrystal performs in Belfast in 2014.

In 2013, McCrystal released The Music of Christmas & the Stories Behind the Songs, an album of Christmas songs produced by Nigel Wright.[14]

On 2 September 2014, his album A Living Prayer was released by Difference Media / UMG. Produced by McCrystal and Casey Wood, it contains traditional hymns and contemporary songs.[15]

McCrystal and Woods co-produced the 2016 traditional vocal pop album And So It Goes which included performances by Rita Wilson and Chloe Agnew.[6]

Television, film and radio

In 2008, McCrystal founded SMUC Radio, a radio station at St. Mary's University College in Twickenham, England, hosted by students and broadcast 24 hours a day. SMUC Radio debuted on 19 February 2009.[16]

An Internet TV station, The Eamonn McCrystal Network, was launched on 10 October 2012.[7]

On 6 September 2014, McCrystal hosted the made-for-television concert The Music of Northern Ireland at the Grand Opera House in Belfast. It was filmed by BBC Northern Ireland and aired on PBS in North America in March 2015. During the event, McCrystal sung duets with special guest artists including Brian Kennedy, Rachel Tucker, Keith Getty and Kristyn Getty.[15][17][18][19] It won four 2015 NATAS Emmy Awards, with McCrystal winning for best On-Camera Talent/Performer, and as a co-producer for best Overall Arts/Entertainment program.[20]

Eamonn is seen regularly on PBS Television with his concerts "The Music of Northern Ireland" (PBS)[21] and "The Music of Christmas" (BBC/PBS)[3][4][22] and also on the BBC in the UK, most notably BBC Children In Need,[23] Songs of Praise[24]

McCrystal made an appearance in the 2014 film Big Stone Gap, directed by Adriana Trigiani and starring Ashley Judd, Patrick Wilson and Whoopi Goldberg.[15][17] He also appeared in the 2016 film God's Not Dead 2, and guest-starred in the sitcom Hitting The Breaks.[3]

On December 13th 2018, "The Music of Christmas with Eamonn McCrystal" was released on Amazon Prime Video.

In February 2020 Eamonn co-created, produced and directed an 8-part vegan cooking show “New Day New Chef” with Jane Velez-Mitchell. The show airs on Public Television and Amazon Prime Video.

Performances

McCrystal has performed with Randy Travis[7] and Kristin Chenoweth,[25] Rachel Tucker,[21] Brian Kennedy,[21] Rita Wilson[3][6] and Chloe Agnew,[3][6][23][26][27] he makes regular guest appearances on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee,[27][28] and is often backed by a 12-piece orchestra.[8]

In December 2016, McCrystal toured the United States (15 cities in 18 days)[3][5][26] with Chloe Agnew,[6][23][26][27] notable venues included: The Grammy Museum at LA Live[26] and The Kennedy Center, Washington DC.[26][29]

Eamonn performs regularly on PBS Television with his concerts "The Music of Northern Ireland" (PBS)[21] and "The Music of Christmas" (BBC/PBS)[3][4][22] and also on the BBC in the UK, most notably BBC Children In Need,[23] Songs of Praise[24] and live music performances on BBC Radio.[30][31]

Discography

Albums

• After the Storm (2000)
• The Search (2006)
• Rest for Your Soul (2007)
• Eamonn McCrystal Live (2009)
• When in Nashville... (2011)
• The Music of Christmas & the Stories Behind the Songs (2013)
• A Living Prayer (2014)
• The Music of Northern Ireland (CD & DVD, 2015)
• Where Does The Time Go? (2015)
• And So It Goes (2016)

Singles

• "If It's Gonna Rain" (2010)
• "Under Your Wings" (2012)
• "Blue Christmas" (2013)
• "Auld Lang Syne" (2013)
• "Pray For Peace" (2016) feat. Rita Wilson and Chloë Agnew
• "You Haven't Seen The Last of Me" (2018)
• "Love Will Wait" (2020)

Collaborations

• "Someone You Never Knew" – with Randy Travis (from Anniversary Celebration, 2011)
• "Pray For Peace" (2016) feat. Rita Wilson and Chloë Agnew (from And So It Goes 2016)
• "We've Got Tonight" - with Chloë Agnew (from And So It Goes 2016)

References

1. Karen Scott, "Eamonn McCrystal – following his destiny," Tyrone Courier, 22 August 2012.
2. News Desk, Northern Ireland. "Eamonn McCrystal: NI programme wins four US TV awards". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 16 November 2015.
3. Desk, BWW News. "Multiple Emmy Award-Winning Irish Pop Tenor Eamonn McCrystal and Chloë Agnew Join Forces for North American Tour". Retrieved 9 January 2017.
4. "Music of Christmas - BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
5. "Fans Asked, He Sang". Arkansas Online. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
6. "Cookstown tenor releases tenth album". www.midulstermail.co.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
7. John McGurk, “Cookstown singer Eamonn McCrystal set for stardom in US”, Belfast Telegraph, 4 September 2012.
8. Billy Kennedy, "Rising star Eammon to thrill Cookstown", The News Letter, 10 August 2012.
9. "College News". www.stmarys-belfast.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
10. Jenny Lee, “Crystal clear sounds,” The Irish News, 31 August 2012.
11. "Eamonn ready for the road", Mid-Ulster Mail, 6 August 2007.
12. Christina Fuoco Karasinski, "Randy Travis still modest after 25 years in country music", MLive.com, 13 July 2011.
13. "Superstars Just Love Talented Eamonn", The Sunday Life, 2 September 2012.
14. "Eamonn launches Christmas album", Tyrone Times, 22 October 2013.
15. “Celebrating our music,” The Irish News, 28 August 2014.
16. “About SMUC Radio,” Archived 16 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine smucradio.com. Accessed 30 January 2013.
17. “’We want to show everyone Ulster is a place of cool music’,” The News Letter, 4 September 2014.
18. “Celebrate the music of Northern Ireland,” Ulster Star, 26 August 2014.
19. John McGurk, “Finest Crystal,” The Sunday Life, 31 August 2014.
20. "Eamonn McCrystal: NI programme wins four US TV awards," BBC News, June 14, 2015.
21. ireland, dptv, Eamonn McCrystal, Ireland, Northern Ireland, music of northern. "Eamonn McCrystal | Arts & Culture | DPTV". Eamonn McCrystal | Arts & Culture | DPTV. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
22. "comics 2nd pg 12/24". Daily Herald. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
23. "BBC Children in Need appeal 2016: Barra Best and Jo Scott team up with Pudsey". BBC News. 18 November 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
24. "Cookstown's Emmy Award winning tenor, Eamonn McCrystal to feature on BBC's Songs of Praise". www.midulstermail.co.uk. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
25. Robert Machray, “Concert Review (LA): Deck The Halls with Kristin Chenoweth at Disney Hall" Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 16 April 2011
26. "Celebrating Traditions and Christmas". Irish Examiner. 7 December 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
27. "EAMONN McCRYSTAL AND CHLOE AGNEW". Grand Ole Opry. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
28. “Eamonn McCrystal: Guest Artist,” Grand Old Opry; Accessed 30 January 2013
29. "Hedgehog World Entertainment presents Eamonn McCrystal & Chloë Agnew in Concert". The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
30. "Eamonn McCrystal with Gerry Kelly". BBC Radio Ulster. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
31. "Neil Delamere and Eamonn McCrystal, Gerry Kelly". BBC Radio Ulster. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2017.

External links

• Official website
• The Eamonn McCrystal Network