Annie Haslam

Annie Haslam (born 8 June 1947) is an English vocalist, songwriter and painter. She is best known as the lead singer of progressive rock band Renaissance since 1971, and for her long and diverse solo singing career. She has a five-octave vocal range. In 2026, Loudwire ranked her as the 3rd greatest progressive rock singer of all time.

From 2002, Haslam has developed a parallel career as a visual artist, producing paintings on canvas, painted musical instruments and giclées.

Early history At the age of ten, Haslam's parents enrolled her in elocution lessons, which Haslam cites as being the foundation of her singing career.

After studying fashion at Redruth Art School in Cornwall, Haslam began working as an assistant at fashion company Jaeger and then became an apprentice at David Coombs, a Savile Row tailor in London. There, she overheard the Beatles' 1969 rooftop concert while on the street during her lunch break.

As her first professional singing job, Haslam spent a year singing at a dinner/cabaret club named Showboat in the Strand in London's West End with the band The Gentle People. Charles Snider stated: "Annie Haslam's voice, soaring high along with the melody, is the big news. Far more West End than Carnaby Street, it would come to define the band."

With Renaissance, Haslam was lead vocalist on seven studio albums during their classic period (1972–1979), four studio albums from 1981–present, and a number of live albums. In August 1978 the band's single "Northern Lights" reached the top 10 in the UK singles chart.

In 2018, Haslam provided her perspective on her work with Renaissance: "I love all the albums from Prologue to A Song for All Seasons [including Ashes Are Burning, Turn of the Cards, Scheherazade and Other Stories, Live at Carnegie Hall, and Novella]. I think they are masterpieces. Azure d'Or is okay, the changes within the band and sound started with this album... I felt we were going in the wrong direction and away from our roots... Jon Camp led us into another style of music taking us away from our identity along the way. These were the [albums] Camera Camera and Time-Line. Personally, I feel we shouldn't have abandoned who we were and our heritage".

Visual arts "Haslam as few among us, is blessed to channel her muse in a variety of ways" wrote Melinda Rizzo in Fine Art Magazine. One of these is visual arts: her paintings have been used as cover art on the albums: One Enchanted Evening, by Annie Haslam Woman Transcending by Annie Haslam – Night and Day by Annie Haslam with Magenta Grandine il Vento / Symphony of Light by Renaissance Speak by I and Thou Song of Times by Starcastle she has helped others to design her on-stage clothing

Festive season concert Starting in 1999, Haslam has, each year, performed a Christmas show called In the Spirit of the Holidays, originally at the Upper Tinicum Lutheran Church, and then at the larger Sellersville Theatre in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, since 2006. The Christmas show has been held every year except 2012, due to the death of her friend and colleague, Michael Dunford, in November of that year. Haslam stated that "there was just too much sadness at the time". Included in the program are secular, and religious Christmas carols, as well as her own compositions, and some Renaissance songs.

Personal life Regarding her first name, Haslam said in 1993 that "I was 'our Anne' to my Mum and Dad, but to everyone else I was Annie".

Haslam grew up in a working-class family.

Haslam has been a vegetarian since the late 1980s. In 1993, Haslam was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she survived and which became the inspiration for her 1994 album, Blessing in Disguise.

Haslam was engaged to musician Roy Wood for four years, which she later described as "four of the funniest years of my life". In 1991, Haslam married Marc I. Hoffman of North Wales, Pennsylvania. The marriage ended in divorce, but Haslam says "I believe my ex-husband came into my life to save it, because I had breast cancer after we were married and was immediately taken care of so well". She now resides in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Solo discography Annie in Wonderland (1977) Still Life (1985) Annie Haslam (1989) Blessing in Disguise (1994) Supper's Ready: (Genesis tribute Album) (guest vocalist) (1995) Tales From Yesterday (Yes tribute Album) (guest vocalist) (1995) Live Under Brazilian Skies (1998) The Dawn of Ananda (1999) Portraits of Bob Dylan by Steve Howe (album) (guest vocalist) (1999) It Snows in Heaven Too (2000) One Enchanted Evening (2002) Icon by John Wetton & Geoff Downes (album) (guest vocalist) (2005) Miles of Music by Bob Miles (guest vocalist) (2006) Live Studio Concert (2006) Night and Day EP with Magenta written for Haslam by Rob Reed and Christina Booth (2006) Woman Transcending (2007) Songs of the Century (Supertramp tribute album) (guest vocalist) (2012) 'Live' Studio Concert Philadelphia 1997 (Re-release) (2014) "Don't Give Up" (single), (duet with Jann Klose) (2017)