A Valentine Message from Victor J Hanson

Who are the important women in your life?

This is a great question. The most important woman in my life is my wife Suzy. Suffice it to say that she’s been beyond supportive through the years. An amazing lady with a heart of solid gold. (Not sure how it can pump blood, but it does.) For women that are no longer alive, I’d say, my grandmother, my mother, and my sister as they were my first audience in life.

“A picture with my wife, Suzy, and Eagles guitarist Don Felder. He wrote the music to *Hotel California*. I opened a show for him in Toronto.”

What men have had a positive influence in your life and in what ways?

This is a tough question. The first is my father. He had the most amazing sense of humour and patience. During WW2, he lost a great deal of his hearing and returned home with many shrapnel injuries. Despite these wounds and disabilities, he could and would make people laugh and make their days that much better. He taught me that tolerance & patience should not be read as signs of weakness. They are signs of strength.

The other men with a positive influence are all the comedians, actors, singers, and amazing entertainers that I have admired and learned from through the years. (After seeing Elvis in a movie for the first time, I knew I had to learn to sing and play guitar. So my mom immediately enrolled me in accordion lessons. (I know) Guitar came later. Man, talk about patience.)

Who are the people in your life you’d like to thank and why?

Victor J Hanson with Cynthia Pepper at the Flaming Star Festival in a photo by Louis Young.

Oh boy, this question requires a very long answer but I’ll try to chop it down. I’d like to thank my wife for saving my life. Saving a life isn’t always stopping someone from falling off a cliff, sometimes it’s just pointing out where the cliffs are. My mother, father, and my sister, Christine, for a million reasons. The best reasons are love and acceptance. My son, Bill, for showing me how a family can make a man. Thanks to the many organizers and producers of the great events, festivals, and concerts I’ve performed at through the years. A big thank you to all the audiences on land and sea that are willing to laugh and play with me at the many shows I’ve performed at through the years. I’d also like to thank Cynthia Pepper for her friendship and our shared times together on and off the stage. Without her, I wouldn’t have been an author with a book currently in the Library of Congress. Thanks, CP.

What would you like to say to your ETA friends?

This is where patience comes in. My last live ETA show was on March 7th, 2020. It was a beautiful theatre in northeastern Ontario. I was the lead guitar player for Gerie and The Koasters and we backed up Matt Cage. It was a fantastic show. I had no idea at the time that due to a pandemic this would be my last show for a long time. Forced retirement from show biz for what is coming up to two years now. As someone who has hosted at the Collingwood Festival, (may it rest in peace), the Flaming Star Festival, the Niagara Falls Festival, the Tweed Festival, the Thousand Islands Comedy Festival, and far too many individual ETA shows to count, I know that they will all be back soon and bigger than ever.

Playing guitar in a CCR Tribute band 2019.

To the Elvis fans, I say have patience the shows are coming back soon. To the ETA’s I say start stretching and warming up as your stages full of music and love are being prepared for you and all your talents.

See you all again soon,

Victor J Hanson

To read more about this fascinating comedian, emcee, writer, and musician, please click here