Mark McGrathIt's a year of profound changes for Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath. The singer-turned-TV host, whose new half-hour version of 'Don't Forget the Lyrics' debuts Sept. 20, became the father of twins -- son Lydon and daughter Hartley -- in April. Then, last month, he lost his own father.

"I see my dad in my twins now and it's like the circle closing," he says. His father "certainly did get to see them and have some quality time. I think the last three months of his life were the proudest. He was Catholic, a religious man, and it was important to him to get to see the kids baptized, which we did July 12. I saw my dad's face and he had kind of a look like, 'My job here is done,'" recalls McGrath.

His father passed away from a massive coronary at home after telling EMTs he didn't want to be taken to the hospital. "He hated Western medicine, hated hospitals. He was a smoker and didn't want to be hassled about his health or his smoking. He lived life like he wanted to, and died like he wanted to," McGrath says.

"He was a man of conviction, very clear. His idiosyncrasies made him who he was, but he paid the price. It would have been nice to have him around another 20-30 years to see the kids grow up, but I'm glad he got to see the baptism."