Dermot Kennedy is living proof that you can come late to a party and have more fun than everyone else who’s been there before you. He’s a fairly new musician on the scene but has achieved feats that older musicians still struggle to understand. The young man has only one album to his credit, but his countless EPs and singles announced his genius and sold him shows and concerts to the amazement of many.
The singer is a talented songwriter best known for the single “Power Over Me” which turned out to be his ultimate ticket to superstardom. Here are all the details about the popular singer’s age and family life.
Dermot Kennedy Biography (Age)
Born on the 13th day of December in 1991, he was christened Dermot Joseph Kennedy by parents whose names are not known but who happened to be his biggest fans. He was brought up in the small town of Rathcoole where he was born, a short distance from Dublin, Ireland. From an early age, Dermot’s first love was sports and he played football and supported local clubs.
As he advanced through his teenage years, Dermot Kennedy’s passion for sports died away when he discovered his passion for music. He started learning to play the guitar at age 10, and by 14 had gone so far as to write his own songs. To support his passion, his mother personally found him a place to study classical music at university and he worked on his skills for three years.
While he learned what he could in school, Kennedy’s father often volunteered to take him to Dublin, where he performed at Open Mics, practicing what he had learned in school and honing his skills.
The recording of his professional career began on During his years in Dublin and Boston, he began to make publicity and amass a large number of fans eager to follow him. He also competed in many local talent contests until he won the south county contest which is famous for its many new musical talents. The win set him on the path to stardom and opportunities presented themselves. Spotify Discover Weekly acknowledged its victory with a dramatic increase in the number of streams of its works.
Having no management at the time, Kennedy went to Spotify himself and they did a mini-campaign on his song After Rain, which became the real turning point for the young artist who, until then, was at the looking for a recording contract. Soon his songs on the streaming platform were bringing in up to four million streams per month. Using the proceeds of his Spotify fame, he funded shows in New York and Los Angeles that sold out and sparked demand for labels that soon came calling.
While Dermot Kennedy released his work on Spotify in 2016, he did the same for the work of his then band, Shadows and Dust, a band he formed with a few of his school friends. Two years later, in 2018, the singer didn’t have an album but was racking up great reviews from all angles and selling out gigs. Currently, the singer has a self-titled album which he released in 2019, two EPs and numerous singles.
His family
Dermot Kennedy comes from a not so large family. He didn’t reveal the names of his parents, but he acknowledges how supportive they were of his dream of becoming a great musician. Growing up, his parents had a huge piano that he practiced and learned to play on. His sister Claire, an excellent pianist, became a doctor.
The singer’s aunt is famous RTÉ host Mary Kennedy, who is as interested in her musical career as her parents.
Singer Facts
1. Body Stats
Dermot Kennedy has been described as having the body of a true sportsman. He is tall, had broad shoulders and could pass for a rugby player. This is not surprising if you take into account the fact that before music he was already in sports.
2. Leverage
Dermot has had the opportunity to work with many artists like Lorde, Glen Hansard, Mike Dean and others but he loves everything about Justin Vernon and says it would be a dream come true working with his band Bon Iver. For his style of folk music, the singer said he was influenced by David Gray, Ray LaMontagne and, of course, Hansard.
3. Audience
Spotify took Dermot Kennedy off the streets and gave him an audience that any up-and-coming artist would be proud of. His following reached new heights in 2018 when the hugely popular Taylor Swift handpicked him and added him to a Spotify playlist. This was a huge boost for the young singer and helped his single “Boston” to often top five results on the streaming platform.