Peter McCann

Peter McCann (born March 6, 1948 in Bridgeport, Connecticut) is an American musician and songwriter.

McCann graduated from Fairfield University in Connecticut (1970) with a B.A. in history. He began recording for Motown Records in 1971. His two Motown albums with the group Repairs were produced by Andrew Loog Oldham, producer of the Rolling Stones. McCann's career blossomed in 1977 with the release of the hit “Right Time of the Night,” personally chosen by Clive Davis, performed by Jennifer Warnes on Arista Records and produced by Jim Ed Norman. His success as a writer prompted his signing to 20th Century Fox Records in that same year and the immediate release of “Do You Wanna Make Love,” written and performed by him and produced by Hal Yoergler, Vice President of ABC Dunhill Music Publishing, and sold over 2 million singles as an international hit, reaching high chart positions in the U.S, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In 1978 CBS, now Sony Music, purchased his contract from the Fox organization and began a fruitful, 20-year relation with him as a songwriter. In 2012 McCann concluded a three-year contract with GrandVista Music in Nashville as a staff writer.

His songs have been recorded by Julio Iglesias, Buck Owens, Anne Murray, Kenny Rogers, The Oak Ridge Boys, Lee Greenwood, Mickey Gilley, Reba McEntire, Ricky Skaggs, Crystal Gayle, Shelly West and Jermaine Jackson. Hits in Country include the Grammy Nominated Performance “She’s Single Again” by Janie Fricke and the #1, “Nobody Falls Like a Fool” by Earl Thomas Conley. In 1991 Baillie and the Boys had a hit with “Treat Me Like a Stranger.” McCann also had a song on one of the largest selling female debut albums of all time when Whitney Houston recorded “Take Good Care of My Heart.” His song “The Star” appeared on Kathy Mattea’s Grammy winning Christmas album. Isaac Hayes and Millie Jackson took their hit duet version of “Do You Wanna Make Love” up the R&B Charts. Over the years, his songs have been on well over 100,000,000 records sold. During his career McCann has been signed as a recording artist to Motown, 20th Century Fox, CBS Records and RCA Records. Past recordings include cuts by John Travolta, Michael Johnson, Karen Carpenter, Shaun Cassidy, K.T. Oslin, Lynn Anderson, Ricky Nelson, Paul Anka, Bobby Vinton, Nicolette Larson, and Donny Osmond.

Throughout his career McCann has been active for the rights of songwriters and publishers, lecturing for NSAI, SESAC, ASCAP, BMI. He has also lectured at the University of Southern California, UC Santa Barbara, George Washington University Law School, University of Tennessee Law School, Belmont University and Vanderbilt University. For the last 24 years, he has lobbied pro bono in Washington D.C. on copyright issues. He has written several songs with Senator Orrin Hatch, Senior Senator of the State of Utah. McCann is a past vice-president and board member of NSAI. In 1995 he won the President’s Choice award for his work in copyright protection. In 2003 he won a special commendation from SESAC for his continuing efforts to strengthen the nation’s copyright laws.

In May 1999, then Attorney General Janet Reno presented Peter with the Volunteerism Award from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for composing “Among the Missing” as an anthem for the Center’s free use. He also produced the video and co-produced the recording of the song as performed by Michael McDonald and Kathy Mattea. His co-producers on “Among the Missing” were Multi Grammy Winning Producer George Massenburg and Multi Grammy Winning Engineer Gary Paczosa.

In 1995, McCann released a Christmas album of his own compositions on RCA Records for which he received critical acclaim and a letter of commendation from Pope John Paul II.