Damian McGinty
Damian McGinty | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Damian Joseph McGinty, Jr |
| Born | 9 September 1992 |
| Genres | Pop, classical crossover |
| Years active | 2006–present |
| Labels | Decca, Columbia |
| Website | www |
Damian McGinty, Jr. (born 9 September 1992)[1] is a Northern Irish singer and actor from Derry, Northern Ireland,[2] and was a member of the group Celtic Thunder.[3] He has been performing for the past thirteen years, winning his first music competition before the age of six.[4] After winning a singing competition in 2006, Damian's public profile was significantly boosted and he made appearances at various concerts including the Millennium Forum for Derry City football team.[4] On 21 August 2011, he was announced as one of the winners of The Glee Project, which guarantees him a seven-episode story arc on the TV series Glee.[2][5]
Discography
Celtic Thunder concerts
- Celtic Thunder (2008)
- Act Two (2008)
- Take Me Home (2009)
- It's Entertainment! (2010)
- Christmas (2010)
- Heritage (2011)
- Storm (2011)[4]
Film and television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Glee Project | Himself | Winner (10 episodes) |
| 2011 | Glee | Rory Flanagan[6] | Seven-episode role in season 3 |
The Glee Project
McGinty was selected as one of the top 12 finalists out of 40,000 contenders in a MySpace audition search, who competed for a role on The Glee Project.[3][7] After making the top 12, the Irish singer came close to not being able to continue the competition when he had difficulties securing an O visa.[8]
Along with Samuel Larsen, McGinty won a seven-episode arc on the third season of Glee.[2][5] On his final performance on The Glee Project, McGinty sang "Beyond the Sea," which he chose to show Glee producer Ryan Murphy that he could handle a lead role.[9] Comments from Glee producer Ryan Murphy have fuelled speculation that McGinty may become a leading role similar to Cory Monteith's character, Finn.[8]
Following the final episode of The Glee Project, McGinty was featured in a special video on the Oxygen channel website with Cameron Mitchell, who won the Bing Fan Favorite. The two sang Michael Bublé's "Haven't Met You Yet."[2][10] Mitchell saved McGinty from elimination earlier in the season, when Mitchell chose to leave the competition on the evening that McGinty was slated to be eliminated.[2][10] McGinty made his first appearance on Glee in the fourth episode of the season entitled "Pot o' Gold" playing Rory Flanagan, a foreign exchange student who is staying with Brittany's family.[6]
Personal life
McGinty's family, including father Damian McGinty, Sr., mother Joanne, sister Gemma and brother Emmett, live in Derry, Northern Ireland.[11]
References
- ^ McGinty, Damian. "Damian McGinty (Official)". Retrieved 9 September 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Elliott, Stuart (22 August 2011). "Bing Considers Low-Rated 'Glee Project' a Success". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
- ^ a b "Derry Teen Damian McGinty Wins Role on 'Glee'". Irish Television and Film Network. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
- ^ a b c "Celtic Thunder: Damian McGinty". Celtic Thunder. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
- ^ a b Wang, Cynthia (22 August 2011). "The Glee Project Winners 'Honored' to Join Glee". People Magazine. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
- ^ a b Keck, William (25 September 2011). "Keck's Exclusives: First Look at Glee's Lucky Charmer". TV Guide. Retrieved 25 September 2011.
- ^ "Filled with GLEE". The Irish Echo. 25 August 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
- ^ a b Goldberg, Lesley (22 August 2011). "'The Glee Project': Winners Share Their Hopes for 'Glee' (Q&A)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
- ^ Stack, Tim (22 August 2011). "'Glee Project' winners relive last night's shocking twist!". EW. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
- ^ a b Perez, Christina. "Cameron Mitchell: A Glee Project Winner After All". FrontBurner. D Magazine. Retrieved 28 August 2011.
- ^ McDaid, Brendan (23 August 2011). "Glee for Damian McGinty as he sings his way into the cast of TV hit". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 1 September 2011.