Michael McDermott (born August 24, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois, United States. Career McDermott started performing in Chicago coffeehouses in the early 1990s, incorporating elements of Irish music into an American folk rock sound. 1991: Record Deal & "620 W. Surf" He was signed by Brian Koppelman to Giant Records and his 1991 single "A Wall I Must Climb", from the album 620 W. Surf, reached No. 34 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock tracks chart. McDermott released several albums in the 1990s and toured extensively behind them. His lyrics were quoted in the Stephen King books Insomnia, and in the book Rose Madder, one of the characters constantly wears a shirt of his that reads "I'm in love with a girl called Rain". 1996: "Michael McDermott" In January 1996 McDermott released his 3rd major label album, the self-titled, Michael McDermott. The liner notes were written by super-fan Stephen King who opined about the prior album, “My first listen to Gethsemane is one of the great events of my life as a rock music fan. It wasn’t so much the record itself, good as it was, as the man on the record. Not since I first heard Bruce Springsteen singing ‘Rosalita’ had I heard someone who excited me so much as a listener, who turned my dials so high, who just made me feel so fucking happy to have ears.” 2013: The Westies In 2013, McDermott formed The Westies together with Heather Horton, Ian Fitchuk, Joe Pisapia and Lex Price. An album of new songs with the band was released in Italy May 13, 2014, on Appaloosa Records. US release was in the spring, 2015 (Pauper Sky Records). On January 29, 2016, another album with The Westies was released: Six On The Out (Appaloosa Records, Pauper Sky Records). 2016: "Willow Springs" In 2016, McDermott released Willow Springs, named for the small town where he now resides with his wife and daughter. Recorded at his home in the country and fan-funded, Willow Springs was produced by McDermott, with longtime producer and collaborator, Lex Price mixing. Performers on the record include Price; guitarist, Will Kimbrough; keyboard player, John Deaderick and McDermott's wife, Heather Horton on backing vocals. The record went to #1 Euro Americana album chart. 2018: Orland Park District 230 Legacy Hall of Fame In the Spring of 2018 McDermott was inducted into his school's Hall of Fame. In