The McCord Gallery & Cultural Center, located at 9602 W. Creek Road in Palos Park, came alive Wednesday night as Dan McGuinness, an accomplished entertainer and Palos Park native, returned home for a performance that blended soulful vocals, storytelling and a deep connection to his roots.
To call McGuinness a singer would have been an understatement. With a voice that moves effortlessly from edgy and powerful to soft and delicate, he delivered a dynamic set that drew enthusiastic applause throughout the evening.
McGuinness viewed the show as more than just another performance. It was also a homecoming.
“We moved from Berwyn to Palos Park in 1984, and I moved to Arizona in the summer of 1999,” McGuinness said. “We couldn’t believe all the openness, the trees, and of course being so close to The Plush Horse. My sisters used to work there and we’d ride our bikes to bug them for free ice cream.”
McGuinness, 47, graduated from Stagg High School in 1996 before attending Moraine Valley Community College and later enrolling at the Illinois Center for Broadcasting in downtown Chicago, now known as the Illinois Media School. Music, he said, came into his life later than most.
“I’m the youngest of seven, and both my parents were singers in some capacity, but music wasn’t really encouraged as a career,” he said. “I was an athlete before becoming a musician and didn’t start playing guitar until I was 18. I didn’t play my first gig until I was 19.”
Over the years, McGuinness has built an impressive résumé as a singer, songwriter, guitarist, broadcaster, actor and stand-up comic. While primarily a vocalist and guitarist, he also enjoys experimenting with other instruments.
“Mainly, I’m a singer and guitarist,” McGuinness said. “I like to play drums and keyboards on some of my recordings but never on stage. I dabble with my Dobro guitar at home, but it’s just for fun. Somebody handed me a bass once, and I said, ‘That’s nice,’ and handed it back.”
His journey into performing began with a group of neighborhood friends who had a band.
“I had friends down the street that had a band, and I was always hanging around them and eventually became a roadie for them,” McGuinness said. “I loved being around the stage, the scene. They would call me up to sing once in a while, and I got hooked. Until then, I was only singing in the car and was afraid to sing in front of others. My, how that has changed.”
McGuinness’s passion for music eventually led him to national stages. In 2016, he joined bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees and founding members of Creedence Clearwater Revival, as part of their touring group, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, where he handled rhythm guitar and lead vocals. In 2021, alongside guitarist Kurt Griffey, he co-founded Revisiting Creedence, a project dedicated to celebrating the band’s timeless catalog.
The performance at McCord Gallery held special meaning for McGuinness.
“It was an honor to be approached to perform here, which was my first time,” McGuinness said. “I am very proud to be from Palos Park, and to have an opportunity to perform for an organization that does so much for the arts and the community is humbling. This was a fun night for me, to be featured like this.”
The intimate evening showcased McGuinness’s versatility as an entertainer and his pride in his hometown. For both the audience and the artist, it was a performance that blended memories and music into a night to remember.
