When Patricia McCann lost her husband John in 2024, she knew she wanted his name to continue making an impact in the local arts scene as much as it did when he was alive.
John McCann was a talented bassist, poet and videographer and whether he was playing weddings, events or in bars across the country, he was a passionate and familiar face in the music scene.
In early 2024, he was diagnosed with a Grade 3 Oligodendroglioma, a rare brain tumour and sadly passed the following November, surrounded by the love of his wife, family and all who knew and played with him, aged just 38.
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Following discussions Patricia and John had while he was undergoing treatment, Patricia was inspired by his strength and care for other musicians facing hardships and knew she wanted his legacy to create change after his death.
She launched the John McCann Foundation, a registered charity on a mission to provide a vital supportive framework for musicians, writers, actors and all literary and performing artists in Northern Ireland.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Patricia said it was “hard to put into words” the type of person John was as he just connected with people in a special way with his humour and compassion.
She said: “Most knew him as a musician, but he wasn’t just a musician, he was so passionate about the arts.
“Everything that he did throughout the day- it was talking about movies, it was wanting to create videos, doing documentary-style editing and things like that.
“He played in The Harp Bar every Sunday and he was always playing at weddings. He actually taught himself how to play bass – he’s just one of those people.
“It’s very hard for me to actually put it into words the type of human he was because everybody who loses someone puts them on a pedestal but rightly so – anybody who met him knew he just radiated.
“He had this personality that just connected with everyone and he was just so kind and would have done anything for anyone.”
The John McCann Foundation was actually a vision born from John’s own heart, without him even realising what he was laying the foundations for.
While facing his own battle, he recognised the “sobering reality” that for self-employed artists and musicians, there is no professional safety net when life takes an unexpected turn.
Patricia said the idea to start the charity came from tough conversations she had with her husband during his battle.
“It was a really sad conversation that John and I were having, it was a conversation that you have when somebody is diagnosed with a brain tumour and you know it is not ending very well,” she said.
“We were talking about life – we’re young, we were talking about what we would have done in the future. He sometimes asked ‘what’s it all about, what have we achieved’.
“He was one of those people who were deep and he really thought about things and I remember sitting there with him and thinking that he has achieved so much. He is such a brilliant person.
“I just thought ‘what can I do’.”
She said that even during his own illness, John followed stories of others who were going through the same thing but did not have the same financial security as he had and faced not getting paid if they were unable to gig or perform anymore.
It was this compassion and care for other creatives that inspired the foundation and means his passion for the arts can live on in his name.
Patricia continued: “I never told him I was going to start a charity, because I know what he would have been like don’t be putting me in the spotlight because that’s just the way he was but I knew I wanted to do something based around him and his legacy.
“But more so, it is about the people like him that need help and support – it is about helping people and he would have loved that idea, but he was just one of those people that didn’t like the spotlight, funny enough.”
The charity recognises that creators often lack traditional workplace protections and their goal is to bridge the gap during times of illness, injury, mental health struggles or career instability.
The John McCann Foundation’s vision is to provide a comprehensive and holistic lifeline and work towards a future that offers essential financial relief alongside restorative services such as specialised workshops or professional therapy.
Patricia said that their commitment is to ensure that no artist faces a personal or professional crisis alone, helping to build a world where those who enrich our society are supported, healthy and empowered to continue their creative work.
Started just over a year ago, they are hosting an inaugural black-tie Gala Ball at the Titanic Hotel on April 25 to raise vital funds but more importantly, raise awareness of the foundation and share their mission with creatives who may be in need of their help.
“Our main aim is we want to be seen – we want to get the foundation out there. We want people to be sharing it and to come along and see our local talent showcased.
“There are different performers lined up and we are trying to get student artists to come in and display some of their work. It is going to be a great night.”
To find out more about what the John McCann Foundation does, see here. To get tickets to the fundraising gala, see here
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