BIOGRAPHY:

Hailing from the central Canadian prairies, John Wort Hannam is known for his lyrical, image-provoking songwriting as well as his engaging live performances. He is a born story-teller with a  keen eye for the quirky.  His Blue Collar Canadian Roots music portrays current yet ageless tales and images from the small towns of Alberta. With wry wit and a poet's turn of phrase, John brings these stories to life: the immigrants and workers tied to the soil, the vast and beautiful lands, a hint of the sea, timeless tales of the common working folk. His engaging turnes, straight-forward attitude, and quirky humor create a captivating performance.

John Wort Hannam comes from a long line of blue-collar workers: his father, a carpenter, his grand-father, a farmer, and great-grandfather, a coal miner and part-time preacher.  On his mother’s side, his grandfather was a master upholsterer, and his great grandfather was a potato farmer. John himself was born on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands, UK and immigrated to Canada when he was nine years old.

For five years John Wort Hannam was a full-time school teacher on the largest reservation in Canada, the Kainai Nation, part of the Blackfoot tribe.  He taught creative writing to grade 9 students.   In 1998 he bought a guitar and learned some chords.  In 2000 he quit teaching and hasn’t looked back, pursing a long-time dream of being a working musician. 

Since then he has gained a growing reputation as a master songwriter and popular performer, winning major songwriting competitions in Canada and the USA and becoming a crowd favorite on festival and other stages.

He released his debut CD “pocket full of holes” in 2002 followed up with “Dynamite and ‘Dozers” in 2004 and then his third full-length CD “Two-Bit Suit” in spring of 2007. The much anticipated about "Queen's Hotel" released in late 2009 to rave reviews, prestigious nominations, and a major award.  
 
John has performed at concerts and festivals across Canada, the United States, Australia and the UK.  He played at the 2010 Olympics and has been commissioned to write the theme song for the 2012 Alberta Winter Games.  His many appearances have included the 2006 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC in conjunction to one of John’s songs, “Church of the Long Grass” appearing on the prestigious Folkways recording label. He was a hit at the 2010 Woody Fest in Okemah, Oklahoma and has already been invited back for 2011. He played at the prestigious Millenium Stage at the Kennedy Center in June 2011.

He tours actively as a solo with guitar and harmonica, a duo with Scott Duncan on fiddle, or with with his band.

Though Canadian Roots and American Roots music are different streams, they spring from a  common ancestry. John's music feels a bit like coming home.

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