User:JKizzieHumanities/John Chan

John Chan is a restaurateur and proprietor of Chan's Fine Oriental Dining, also known as Chan's Egg Rolls and Jazz, known for supporting the jazz scene in Rhode Island.

Chan migrated to the United States with the his family from Hong Kong when he was 10 years old. In 1965 Chan's family took over the restaurant, Chan's Fine Oriental Dining, from a cousin of John Chan's father relocated. The restaurant has been in business since 1905.

Chan went to Providence College to study business and graduated in 1974. In 1977 Chan organized the first jazz performance at Chan's and the model proved successful over time.

Since the inception of jazz performances at Chan's Leon Redbone, John Hammond and Dizzy Gillespie have played at the restaurant, and the restaurant has earned mentions in Jennifer 8. Lee's book The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food and USA Today's 10 Great Places to Savor Chinese Food. The restaurant is now known colloquially as Chan's Egg Rolls and Jazz.

Artists occasionally record their performances at Chan's, typically using the subtitle "live at chan's, " including Rebecca Parris (1985), Nick Moss (2006 and 2009) and Greg Abate (2016).

Chan is friends with filmmakers the Farrelly brothers and appeared briefly in Me, Myself and Irene.

Awards
2011 - Keeping the Blues Alive Award, awarded by the Blues Foundation

2013 - Pell Award for Excellence In the Arts

2018 - Inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame