Omagh singer, Gary Quinn, dedicates single to dad

Gary Quinn may have had ‘childhood dreams’ of being a superhero, but the capes, magical powers and godlike strength pale in comparison to his inspirational father – and it is this love for his dad that he so beautifully captures in his new single.

That being said, ‘He’s My Dad’, penned by the Omagh singer during the doldrums of lockdown, is more than just a lyrically-moving homage to a parent that he has modelled himself on, and aspires to be like.

Indeed, its acoustic instrumentation of gentle percussion, twinkling piano keys and soft steel guitars all converge perfectly and powerfully, to create an open-armed melodic stage for Gary’s vocals to conquer his storytelling in a way that is poignant; drawing the listener in with each verse.

We hear, movingly, how Gary’s father has ‘protected’ him throughout his life; and helped him understand, through teaching by example, that ‘kindness and forgiveness’ are the real ‘strengths of man’ – quietly reminding us all to cast aside our egos and sheath our swords when facing life’s trials and tribulations.

Speaking to the UH, the Omagh man, who is a seven-time British ‘County Music Association’ award-winner, described the song as ‘a deliverance’ of what has been in his heart.

“During lockdown, I thought deeply about my childhood, and what I wanted to be growing up,” Gary described. “On reflection, it became clear that what I was searching for wasn’t about what I wanted to be – but more about who I wanted to be: Someone like my dad.

“’He’s My Dad’ is a throwback to some of my earlier writing,” Gary recollected. “And it delivers exactly what’s in my heart at the time of writing – instead of tackling a song using a more formulaic approach.”

Gary hopes that the acoustic nature of the song, decorated with raw emotion, will resonate with listeners.

“I’m really excited to see the fans’ reactions to it,” he said. “I’ve noticed brilliant reactions to it in recent acoustic performances, and I hope a lot of folks out there can relate to this song.”

‘He’s My Dad’ is the second of three songs earmarked by Gary for release this year, and coincides with his upcoming dates at music festivals this summer.

Hailing from Omagh, but now based in Greater Manchester, Gary has toured with Phil Vassar and William Michael Morgan, opened numerous CMA Songwriters Series in the UK and shared the stage with acts such as Kristian Bush, Mo Pitney and Sarah Darling.

As a songwriter, Gary has collaborated with Grand Ole Opry member and Grammy winner, Steve Wariner, as well as Brett James, Trent Tomlinson, Jenn Bostic and J.P Williams, and performedon several occasions at the renowned Bluebird Café in Nashville, Tennessee.

Gary was also a co-writer on another UK iTunes number one, with Lisa T’s ‘What Am I Missin?’ in April this year.

To keep up-to-date with all-things Gary, visit his website, his socials – Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – his YouTube channel, and follow him on all major music outlets, such as Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.

‘He’s My Dad’, written by Gary Quinn, and produced by Swedish-based Richard Alex, is certainly a worthy follow-up to the Omagh maestro’s previous musical offerings, the romantic ‘Point Of View’, ‘Nobody Somebody’ and ‘Catch Me’. It also marks a marvellous end to a recent successful seven-week tour of theatres in the UK, in which he opened for fellow Omagh entertainer, Dominic Kirwan.

The single is available to listen to now, folks – so check it out!