Music is known to have healing properties, and it is now being used by an 80-year-old man with Alzheimer's disease to bond with his son, regain his memory, and even raise money for charity.
Simon McDermott made his father Ted famous after he posted a video of his dad singing "Quando, Quando, Quando" inside the car while he was driving around Blackburn in Lancashire, England just this May. Simon lovingly called his father the "Songaminute Man," and he instantly became an internet sensation.
"Dad's confused, he's started to forget who I am, and my mum as well. But since we've been doing the music he's a lot happier, enjoying life a lot more," Simon said during a guest appearance on Good Morning Britain.
Doing the carpool karaoke was a stroke of genius on Simon's part. Not only is his father in better spirits, but it even landed Ted a record deal.
"The record deal is amazing. After all these years, he's doing what he's always wanted to do," Simon told Now This. "I know my dad's situation is going to get a lot worse. There are going to be tough days ahead. There [are] dark days, really dark days, but when the light is there, it's amazing."
Simon said his father appears to draw energy whenever he sings. That's why he is grateful that they have music for the journey ahead of them.
At the same time, Simon hopes the money from his dad's record deal will help raise money for charity — specifically, to raise awareness on Alzheimer's disease. "We've nearly raised £30,000 for the Alzheimer's Society now," he told BBC. "We've had messages from people all over the world saying the videos have brought them so much joy. I'm hoping to put some more videos up. I'd love to get him singing with a band, he'd really love that."
