'Songaminute Man' with dementia releases debut album for World Alzheimer's Day

Viral singing sensation Teddy Mac, also known as 'The Songaminute Man', releasesd his debut album to mark World Alzheimer’s day and to help raise money for Alzheimer’s Society.

The 81-year-old, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2013, shot to fame when his son posted videos on YouTube of him singing Engelbert Humperdinck’s ‘Quando Quando Quando’ during their very own Carpool Karaoke. The unlikely double-act proved to be hugely successful and helped raise £150,000 for the charity.

Following the success of his first single with Decca Records label last year, Teddy has now recorded his first album featuring renditions of Nat King Cole’s ‘L.O.V.E’ and Frank Sinatra’s ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’.

Teddy’s son Simon said: “It really is a dream come true that Dad has been able to record this album - he has been an entertainer his whole life so being able to do this with a big band really is amazing. Dad’s condition means that he is increasingly confused and disorientated with sometimes outbursts of anger and aggression, and he often does not recognise either myself or Mum. We had so many requests last year about Dad making an album that we decided to crowdfund it ourselves.

“The songs are based on Dad’s backing tracks he used to sing back in the day which provided the soundtrack to my life growing up in Blackburn. Dad would often say to me ‘Songs are just poems set to music’. Essentially, this album is about love, which at the end of the day is the only thing that matters.”

It was during a drive around their hometown in Blackburn when Simon noticed that Ted, who used to be a Butlin’s Redcoat and club singer, could remember his favourite tracks off by heart. Since then, Simon and Ted often drive around and sing along together.

According to Alzheimer’s Society, music can be a fantastic way for people with dementia to express themselves and interact creatively with others. Even when many memories are hard to retrieve, music can sometimes still be recalled and this can bring a person with dementia back to a loved one – if only for a short while.

Michael Dent, director of fundraising at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “Dementia is set to be the 21st century’s biggest killer so it’s absolutely fantastic that Teddy has been able to record this album and raise money to help us create a world without dementia.

“Whilst it has been an understandably difficult year for Teddy and his family dealing with the day to day realities of a dementia diagnosis, this just goes to show you can still continue to do the things you love and work towards lifelong dreams. Teddy is also a great example of the positive impact music and singing can have for people with dementia."

A quarter of the funds raised from the album sales will go to Alzheimer’s Society to fund vital research into dementia and to help find a cure for the condition, which currently affects 850,000 people across the UK.

‘Teddy Mac – The Songaminute Man’ CD album is available from www.songaminuteman.com. For more information go to: www.alzheimers.org.uk