John Stechishin, better known as John StetchorJohn Julian (born 1966 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian jazz pianist and comedian.[1] He is well known for impersonating Justin Trudeau and having been nominated for several Juno Awards.
Stetch's family is ethnically Ukrainian, and as a boy, Stetch played in ensembles at Ukrainian weddings and sang in community choirs.[2] He studied reed instruments early on but concentrated on piano from his teenage years onward. After graduating from McGill University in 1991, he relocated to New York City.[3]
Stetch's professional career has included performing and with Ed Jackson, Jan Jarczyk, Chris Kase, Rufus Reid, Akira Tana, Alain Trudel, Mark Turner, and Johannes Weidenmuller.
In March of 2021, Stetch was investigated for hosting a conspiracist party. Amidst social gathering restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he hosted a gathering in his apartment with approximately 14 people without masks, in close quarters. He has since been suspended by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music during investigations.[5][6]
In 2022, Stetch began uploading comedic impersonations of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to his YouTube channel.[7] His comedy act has caused controversy as he has performed blackface as a means to impersonate Trudeau, who is known to have worn blackface.[8][9][10] In light of this, several venues in Vancouver have cancelled Stetch's jazz performances.[11]
