Peter McCann

Peter James McCann (March 6, 1948 – January 26, 2023) was an American songwriter, musician, lecturer, and songwriters' activist. He was known for writing successful pop-rock and country songs, including his 1977 solo hit "Do You Wanna Make Love", and "Right Time of the Night" for Jennifer Warnes. At Fairfield University, he founded folk-rock group the Repairs, for which he served as guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist, and songwriter. He moved to Los Angeles in 1971 to record with the Repairs under the Motown label, and then was signed to ABC Records as a staff writer. McCann moved to Nashville in 1987 and began a long career as a staff writer and occasional recording artist. McCann also spent upwards of 25 years lobbying for songwriters' rights in Washington, giving lectures on copyright law in several institutes of higher education across the United States. During his career, McCann had been signed as a recording artist to Motown, 20th Century Fox, CBS Records and RCA Records. His songs have been recorded by Lynn Anderson, Paul Anka, Karen Carpenter, Shaun Cassidy, Crystal Gayle, Mickey Gilley, Lee Greenwood, Whitney Houston, Julio Iglesias, Jermaine Jackson, Michael Johnson, Nicolette Larson, Kathy Mattea, Reba McEntire, Michael McDonald, Anne Murray, Ricky Nelson, The Oak Ridge Boys, K.T. Oslin, Donny Osmond, Buck Owens, Kenny Rogers, Ricky Skaggs, John Travolta, Bobby Vinton, Shelly West, among others. Early life McCann was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on March 6, 1948. He was the son of Donald George McCann, the music minister, organist and choirmaster at St. James Roman Catholic Church in Stratford, Connecticut, and Amelia Teresa McCann (née Hennigan), a homemaker. McCann was of Irish, German, Eastern European, and Swedish descent. Donald, who held a master's degree in Gregorian Chant, taught at Fairfield Woods Middle School in Fairfield, Connecticut, and his eight children, all of whom were members of his St. James church choir, rehearsed weekly and sang in Sunday services, weddings, and funerals. Amelia was a pianist and a good singer who knew how to read sheet music, though she scarcely played in the house.