Johnnie Hamp

Johnnie Hamp (sometimes referred to as John Hamp, or Johnny Hamp) is a British television producer, now retired. He is responsible for the early British television appearances of such acts as the Beatles, singer Cilla Black, comedian Woody Allen and singer Lisa Stansfield as Head of Light Entertainment with Granada Television.

As a small boy he toured variety theatres as a stooge to his grandfather, a magician known as the Great Hampo.

During the 1950s he trained as a Granada cinema manager in Kingston, moving to the group's flagship venue at Tooting to handle a 1953 Frank Sinatra concert. He presented many more, firstly with Johnnie Ray, Guy Mitchell and Frankie Laine, and later with Tommy Steele, Cliff Richard and Gene Vincent.

In 1956 Hamp joined Granada's television division, retaining his responsibilities for stage show management, and booking acts for television productions such as Chelsea at Nine. Granada boss Sidney Bernstein soon noticed Hamp's potential as a producer, and put him in charge of several television quiz shows.

By the later 1960s Hamp was based at the new company headquarters in Manchester, where he was making the regional news magazine programme Scene at 6.30. This was followed by a successful series of television specials featuring blues based American artists. The shows included; Sarah Sings and Basie Swings (1963), with Sarah Vaughan and Count Basie; I Hear the Blues (1963), featuring Memphis Slim, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson and Willie Dixon; and It's Little Richard (1964).

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