John Wort Hannam

“He has a Gordon Lightfoot-like skill at penning songs with easy harmonies and melodies baked from the midday prairie sun, which are then - in his warm , earnest voice - seasoned with the salt of the earth, their stories, their lives, their surroundings.” An excellent Alberta album from an excellent Alberta artist. 4 1/2 Stars outta 5 - Calgary Sun

“John’s music was great and he won his audience over from song one. His voice is a constant strong presence demanding attention to lyrics. He has that enviable ability of being able to write a polished song, striking in its apparent simplicity but difficult for most singer songwriters to aspire to.” - Jo Beattie - Artistic Director

"John Wort Hannam took the stage, and in short work took the audience as well. Poetic lyrics that create stories behind the songs, along with a warm and embracing voice, John wins over the "everyman" in all of us. It won't be long until he's invited back!" - Suze Casey

John Wort Hannam's star is rising and later this month in Vancouver, the southern Alberta troubadour will see just how bright.

Wort Hannam is nominated for Songwriter Of The Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards - Event Magazine

Hannam continues to see his star rise. After making a favourable impression at the recent Ontario Council of Folk Festivals without even having a showcase, he received two nominations for Best Contemporary Vocalist and Best Emerging Artist at the Canadian Folk Music Awrds - Edmonton Journal

The songs on Two-Bit Suit are stitched from the same fabric as the likes of Stan Rogers, James Keelaghan, and Gordon Lightfoot. There are many touch points that shine on this his third release from the emotionally charged "Infantry Man," the frolic of the "Two-Bit Suit," and the reflectively poignant "Wrecking Ball." The songs on Two-Bit Suit (produced by Steve Dawson) grab you on all levels, his sense of melody locks you in and the chorus draws you deep into the song, and then you fall hard for his timeless tales.

It’s really all very simple, Fort McLeod's John Wort Hannam is one of the finest folk songwriters anywhere. At times his lyric dig so deep it's difficult not to identify with these personal stories and with images so vivid, he seems to be creating miniature motion pictures. From a shuffle rhythm to a soulful ballad, this is folk at it's best.


- Swerve Magazine

John Wort Hannam is a born storyteller with a keen eye for the quirky and amusing....A humble and engaging performer..... - Kindersley Clarion

To whom it may concern
Letter of reference for John Wort Hannam

It is a pleasure for me to write this letter of reference for John. We had John perform at our centre in concert. I’d like to tell you about some of the comments on the show, but I’d first like to share some things that happened “behind the scenes” that are very important to me as director of the facility.
I was impressed at how John handled the business end of our relationship.

-Our contract was quickly signed and returned and items for promotion such as CD’s, bio’s, etc were all sent to us quickly so that we could produce our season ticket promotion material.

-Within a month of the show John contacted us to go over details and ask us if there were other things he could do to help us promote the show.

-He made himself available for our local radio station for promotion.
-He and his band arrived early for sound check and were great to deal with. Our soundman made a comment to me that if every group were like this, his job would be “a piece of cake”

-As we were all having supper in the green room I found his entire group to be genuine, friendly and professional

No matter what I may personally feel about a performer, the audience is the final judge. I can tell you that we’ve received such great comments on how much our audience enjoyed him! His songwriting skills bring stories to life in a way we can all relate to. He established great rapport with the audience through his stories, jokes and even getting them to sing along on some songs. There’s something very genuine about John and he gets it across to his audience. This was one of the stronger concerts that we’ve presented over the years.

We look forward to having John back in a few years to perform here again and would highly recommend him to any performance venue.

Respectfully,
Jerry Maksymyk
Executive Director
The William Glesby Centre - Jerry Maksymyk - Director - The William Glesby Centre

In my over 25 years in the music business in Canada, it is a distinct and rare pleasure to come across a performer like John.

That said - more than anything - John Wort Hannam delivers the goods in front of an audience. Having seen John perform many times in many venues and situations, from professional conferences to outdoor family shows, I can only say he came away with fans in any situation he found himself in.

From his songs to his stage presence, John is the complete package - Les Siemieniuk

John Wort Hannam is among the finest artists in the Alberta songwriting scene. His performances at the 2005 Edmonton Folk Music Festival won praise from critics and patrons alike and I can highly recommend him for his work and professionalism.

- Terry Wickham - Producer; Edmonton Folk Music Festival