Séan McCann (born 22 May 1967) is a Canadian singer and musician (playing bodhran, shakers, tin whistle and guitar) who formerly played with
Great Big Sea
Great Big Sea was a Canadian folk rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the island's 500-year Irish, Scot ...
, a band he co-founded. He announced plans to stop touring with the group at the end of December 2013.
After exiting Great Big Sea, McCann publicly admitted a secret past in which he used alcohol to mask the pain of sexual abuse by a priest. His fifth solo album was titled ''There's a Place''.
Early life
He was born to Anita and Edward McCann. His mother was born in Northern Bay and his father in Gull Island. When he was a child, his family moved to St. John's. He was raised
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
. He is married and has 2 sons. He now lives in
Manotick
Manotick ( ) is a community in Rideau-Jock Ward in the rural south part of the City of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is a suburb of the city, located on the Rideau River, immediately south of the suburbs Barrhaven and Riverside South, about from ...
, a suburb of
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, Ontario.
Career
McCann has released 5 solo works (''Lullabies for Bloodshot Eyes'', ''Son of a Sailor'', ''Help Your Self'', ''You Know I Love You'', and ''There's a Place'').
In June 2016, McCann released the folk song "Proud (To Be a Canadian)" for free online in partnership with the
Canadian Red Cross
The Canadian Red Cross Society ()Fort McMurray wildfires. McCann told The Canadian Press that his feelings of despair over the disaster led him to write the lyrics. Once he was finished he contacted fellow musician
Jeremy Fisher
Jeremy Fisher (born Jeremy Binns; December 15, 1976) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Fisher is based in Ottawa, Ontario, and was previously based on Vancouver Island, B.C., Montreal, Quebec, and in Seattle, Washington, US. Fisher's work is hea ...
to help him in the studio.
In November 2017, McCann organized a benefit songwriter's circle at the Algonquin Commons Theatre in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
with his friends
Joel Plaskett
William Joel MacDonald Plaskett (born April 18, 1975) is a Canadian rock musician and songwriter based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was a member of Halifax alternative rock band Thrush Hermit in the 1990s. Plaskett performs in a number of genres ...
,
Sarah Harmer
Sarah Harmer (born November 12, 1970) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and environmental activist.
Early life
Born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Harmer gained her first exposure to the musician's lifestyle as a teenager, when her older sist ...
, and
Jeremy Fisher
Jeremy Fisher (born Jeremy Binns; December 15, 1976) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Fisher is based in Ottawa, Ontario, and was previously based on Vancouver Island, B.C., Montreal, Quebec, and in Seattle, Washington, US. Fisher's work is hea ...
to raise money to purchase guitars for veterans suffering with
PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a ...
and other mental-health issues.
Albums
* ''Lullabies for the Bloodshot Eyes'' (2010)
* ''Son of a Sailor'' (2011)
* ''Help Your Self'' (2014)
* ''You Know I Love You'' (2015)
* ''There's a Place'' (2017)