Terry Wickham – Producer, Edmonton Folk Music Festival and Calgary Folk Music Festival
For 17 years, Terry Wickham has enticed some of the biggest names in music – from country (k.d. lang) to rock (David Byrne) to reggae (Jimmy Cliff) to pop (Joni Mitchell) – to brave the mosquitoes and uncertain early August weather in Edmonton’s downtown Gallagher Park.
In doing so, the Irish-born Wickham has turned a small event started in 1980 into a civic institution embedded in Edmonton’s summer calendar with sold-out performances, a $3-million annual budget, 2,000 volunteers and worldwide acclaim. In 1996, Wickham took his talents to Calgary to help turn around that city’s then-struggling sister festival. The festival now has some high-profile corporate partners, including Tim Hortons, the Westin Calgary and Calgary-based Big Rock Brewery, In addition to bringing both financial stability and big names (Joan Baez and Elvis Costello) to the festival’s Prince’s Island Park venue on the Bow River, the 50-year-old father of two has also provided another venue to develop the next generation of Alberta musicians. – WG
With an unlimited budget, who would your dream headliner be for the Edmonton and Calgary folk festivals?
Van Morrison. He has not been to Edmonton or Calgary for at least 30 years, if ever. He’s one of my favourites. Lots of people have the desire to see him. Bob Dylan has been here, Joni Mitchell has been here, but Van Morrison hasn’t.
Who do you think is the greatest Albertan ever?
Marshall McLuhan.
In 100 years, will you warrant your own chapter in the history books, a footnote to great events or a single Google hit?
A footnote to the Edmonton and Calgary Folk Festivals – great events that I hope will be around in 100 years.
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