Biography
Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans, the legendary John Lennon lyric reads. But for Emmy® Award-Winning Irish tenor Eamonn McCrystal a slight amendment is in order: Life is what happens when you surrender your plans to a higher purpose.
"Doors have opened for me that should've been walls, doors I never imagined for myself," says McCrystal, 27, who recorded his first album at age 13 and has sung at the Vatican for Pope Benedict XVI; appeared alongside Kristin Chenoweth; worked for major British media outlets including the BBC, and performed on The Grand Ole Opry.
Promising to further endear audiences around the globe, Eamonn hosted and produced "The Music of Northern Ireland," the 4-time Emmy® Award Winning TV special for PBS/ BBC featuring fellow Irish-born performers including Brian Kennedy, Rachel Tucker and Keith & Kristyn Getty.
And now producing an array of television and movies from Vegan Cooking shows to Art documentaries as well as countless music videos and TV specials, the trajectory of McCrystal's career shows no signs of slowing. But wherever his career path lands, it's fine with him.
"I love that quote, 'I know the plans I have in mind for you...plans for peace, not disaster...' That's what gets me up in the morning, knowing it's not all on my shoulders."
Growing up literally within 100 yards of his parents' nursing home business outside of Cookstown in Northern Ireland, McCrystal learned from his first audience-the elderly who lived there-the powerful impact of music and story-telling. "Many residents with illnesses such as Alzheimer's didn't recognize their loved ones but when you would start to sing a particular song, their eyes would light up and they could remember all the lyrics ... I'll never forget how incredible it was to see them brought back to the present because of the power of music- even if only for a few moments."
But it was McCrystal's music teacher, the late Colette Dinsmore, who laid the foundation and lit the spark that ignited his passion for music. Under her tutelage, McCrystal learned to play the flute proficiently, to play piano and how to sing properly.
Surrender can be a powerful thing, he says of his approach to his music and his life. "Whenever I force something, it never works, but when I can let it go, it turns out so much better than I could've planned."
McCrystal has worked with Grammy award-winning producers Kyle Lehning, Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey, Leona Lewis), Guy Roche (Cher, Celine Dion), and Nigel Wright (Andrew Lloyd Webber/Simon Cowell).
He's also collaborated with a broad array of esteemed artists, with some highlights including; touring with Kristin Chenoweth and recording the duet "Someone You Never Knew" with Randy Travis.
McCrystal has garnered national and international acclaim including multiple Emmy® Awards for both his performing and TV producing talents- demonstrated in his TV special "The Music of Northern Ireland".
Eamonn has been a musical guest on The Rosie O'Donnell Show, BBC's Children In Need, the long-running "Songs of Praise" appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Network, and performs regularly on the Grand Ole Opry.
You can hear Eamonn perform on the soundtrack (and appear on screen) alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Ashley Judd and Patrick Wilson in the motion picture, Big Stone Gap. He also appeared in the 2016 hit movie, God's Not Dead 2.
To date, McCrystal has 10 albums and 3 singles. He lives in Los Angeles, CA where he produces television for major networks and streaming platforms with his company "Inspired.".
