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Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. His music combined
New Orleans blues New Orleans blues is a subgenre of blues that developed in and around the city of New Orleans, influenced by jazz and Caribbean music. It is dominated by piano and saxophone, but also produced guitar bluesmen. Characteristics As a style, New ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, R&B,
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
and
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
. Active as a
session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...
from the late 1950s until his death, he gained a following in the late 1960s after the release of his album '' Gris-Gris'' (1968) and his appearance at the
Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music The Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music was a counterculture era music festival held at the Royal Bath and West Showground in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England on 27–29 June 1970. Bands such as Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin performed ...
(1970). He typically performed a lively, theatrical stage show inspired by
medicine show Medicine shows were touring acts (traveling by truck, horse, or wagon teams) that peddled "miracle cure" patent medicines and other products between various entertainments. They developed from European Charlatan, mountebank shows and were common ...
s,
Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ; also known as Shrove Tuesday) is the final day of Carnival (also known as Shrovetide or Fastelavn); it thus falls on the day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. is French for "Fat Tuesday", referring to it being ...
costumes, and
voodoo Voodoo may refer to: Religions * West African Vodún, a religion practiced by Gbe-speaking ethnic groups * African diaspora religions, a list of related religions sometimes called Vodou/Voodoo ** Candomblé Jejé, also known as Brazilian Vodu ...
ceremonies. Rebennack recorded thirty studio albums and nine live albums, as well as contributing to thousands of other musicians' recordings. In 1973, he achieved a top-10 hit single with " Right Place, Wrong Time".


Early life and career

Rebennack was born in
New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, on November 20, 1941. He was the son of Dorothy (née Cronin) and Malcolm John Rebennack, and had German, Irish, Spanish, English, and French heritage. His father ran an appliance shop in the East End of New Orleans, fixing radios and televisions and selling records. Growing up in the
3rd Ward of New Orleans The 3rd Ward or Third Ward is one of the 17 Wards of New Orleans, a division of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. Boundaries The Ward touches the Mississippi River as its front. The down-river boundary is Canal Street, below which is the ci ...
, he found early musical inspiration in the
minstrel show The minstrel show, also called minstrelsy, was an American form of theater developed in the early 19th century. The shows were performed by mostly white actors wearing blackface makeup for the purpose of portraying racial stereotypes of Afr ...
tunes sung by his grandfather and a number of aunts, uncles, sister, and cousins who played piano. He did not take music lessons before his teens and endured only a short stint in
choir A choir ( ), also known as a chorale or chorus (from Latin ''chorus'', meaning 'a dance in a circle') is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform or in other words ...
before getting kicked out. When Rebennack was a young boy, his father exposed him to jazz musicians
King Oliver Joseph Nathan "King" Oliver (December 19, 1881 – April 10, 1938) was an American jazz cornet player and bandleader. He was particularly recognized for his playing style and his pioneering use of mutes in jazz. Also a notable composer, he wro ...
and
Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
, who later inspired his 2014 release, '' Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch''. Throughout his adolescence, his father's connections enabled him access to the recording rooms of rock artists, including
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...
and
Guitar Slim Eddie Jones (December 10, 1926 – February 7, 1959), known as Guitar Slim, was an American guitarist in the 1940s and 1950s, best known for the million-selling song " The Things That I Used to Do", for Specialty Records. It is listed in the Roc ...
. Later he began to perform in New Orleans clubs, mainly on guitar, and played on stage with various local artists. When he was about 13 years old, Rebennack met
Professor Longhair Henry Roeland Byrd (December 19, 1918 – January 30, 1980), better known as Professor Longhair or "Fess" for short, was an American singer and pianist who performed New Orleans blues. He was active in two distinct periods, first in the heyday o ...
. Impressed by the professor's flamboyant attire and striking musical style, Rebennack soon began performing with him, and began his life as a professional musician. He later recalled that his debut in the studio, in about 1955 or 1956, came when he was signed as a songwriter and artist by Eddie Mesner at
Aladdin Records Aladdin Records was a record company and label founded in Los Angeles in 1945 by brothers Eddie and Leo Mesner. It was originally called Philo Records before changing its name in 1946. Philo Records Philo's releases included 78 RPM singles of ...
. He joined the musicians' union at the end of 1957, with the help of Danny Kessler, and then considered himself to be a professional musician. At age 16, Rebennack was hired by
Johnny Vincent John Vincent Imbragulio (October 3, 1927 – February 4, 2000), known as Johnny Vincent, was an American record producer for Art Rupe at Specialty Records. He founded Ace Records (US), Ace Records in 1955 in Jackson, Mississippi, 165 miles awa ...
as a producer at Ace Records. There, he gained experience working with many artists, including
James Booker James Carroll Booker III (December 17, 1939 – November 8, 1983) was an American New Orleans rhythm and blues keyboardist and singer. Flamboyant in personality and style, and a pianist of extraordinary technical skill, he was dubbed "the Blac ...
,
Earl King Earl Silas Johnson IV (February 7, 1934 – April 17, 2003),
known as Earl King, was an American singer, guita ...
, and
Jimmy Clanton Jimmy Clanton (born September 2, 1938) is an American singer who became known as the " swamp pop R&B teenage idol". His band recorded a hit song " Just a Dream" which Clanton had written in 1958 for the Ace Records label. It reached number fo ...
. While a struggling student at Jesuit High School, he was already playing in night clubs, something the
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
fathers disapproved of. He formed his first band, The Dominoes, while at the school. The priests told him to either stop playing in clubs or leave the school. Rebennack was expelled from the high school in 1954 and from then on focused entirely on music. In late 1950s New Orleans, Rebennack led his own band, Mac Rebennack and the Skyliners, (Paul Staehle/Dennis "Bootsie" Cuquet, drums; Earl Stanley, bass; Charlie Miller, trumpet; Charlie Maduell, sax; Roland "Stone" LeBlanc, vocals), while playing gigs with others, including
Frankie Ford Frankie Ford (born Vincent Francis Guzzo, Jr.; August 4, 1939 – September 28, 2015) was an American rock and roll and rhythm and blues singer, best known for his 1959 hit "Sea Cruise". Biography He was born in Gretna, Louisiana, across the Mis ...
and the Thunderbirds, and Jerry Byrne and the Loafers. His first (co-written) rock and roll song "Lights Out" (1957), sung by Jerry Byrne, was a regional hit. He had a regional hit with a
Bo Diddley Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist and singer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, including Buddy ...
-influenced instrumental called "Storm Warning" on Rex Records in 1959. At A&R, he and Charlie Miller recorded
monophonic Monaural sound or monophonic sound (often shortened to mono) is sound intended to be heard as if it were emanating from one position. This contrasts with stereophonic sound or ''stereo'', which uses two separate audio channels to reproduce sou ...
singles on 45s for Johnny Vincent and Joe Ruffino for local labels Ace, Ric, and Ron. He oversaw the rhythm section while Miller wrote the horn arrangements and headed up the horns. This continued until Miller moved to New York to study music formally. Rebennack's career as a guitarist was stunted around 1960, when the
ring finger The ring finger, third finger, fourth finger, leech finger, or annulary is the fourth digit of the human hand, located between the middle finger and the little finger. Sometimes the term ring finger only refers to the fourth digit of a left-ha ...
on his left (guitar fretting) hand was injured by a gunshot during an incident at a
Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
gig. After the injury, Rebennack concentrated on
bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...
before making
piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
his main instrument, developing a style influenced by Professor Longhair. Rebennack became involved in illegal activities in New Orleans, using and selling narcotics and running a
brothel A brothel, strumpet house, bordello, bawdy house, ranch, house of ill repute, house of ill fame, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in Human sexual activity, sexual activity with prostitutes. For legal or cultural reasons, establis ...
. He was arrested on drug charges and sentenced to two years in the
Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Worth The Federal Medical Center (FMC) Fort Worth is an administrative-security United States federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas, for male inmates of all security levels with special medical and mental health needs. It is operated by the Federal Burea ...
. His sentence ended in 1965 and he left for
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. Once settled in Los Angeles he became a "first call"
session musician A session musician (also known as studio musician or backing musician) is a musician hired to perform in a recording session or a live performance. The term sideman is also used in the case of live performances, such as accompanying a reco ...
in the Los Angeles studio scene in the 1960s and 1970s and was part of "The Wrecking Crew" stable of studio musicians. He provided backing for
Sonny & Cher Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s, made up of spouses Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as rhythm and blues, R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector. ...
(and some of the incidental music for
Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...
's first film, ''
Chastity Chastity, also known as purity, is a virtue related to temperance. Someone who is ''chaste'' refrains from sexual activity that is considered immoral or from any sexual activity, according to their state of life. In some contexts, for exampl ...
''), for
Canned Heat Canned Heat is an American blues rock band that was formed in Los Angeles in 1965. The group has been noted for its efforts to promote interest in blues music and its original artists. It was launched by two blues enthusiasts, Alan Wilson and ...
on their albums ''
Living the Blues ''Living the Blues'' is the third album by American blues rock band Canned Heat, a double album released in late 1968. It was one of the first double albums to place well on album charts. It features Canned Heat's signature song, " Going Up the ...
'' (1968) and '' Future Blues'' (1970), and for
Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...
and
the Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as the Mothers) were an American rock music, rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an ...
on ''
Freak Out! ''Freak Out!'' is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Mothers of Invention, released on June 27, 1966, by Verve Records. Often cited as one of rock music's first concept albums, it is a satirical expression of guitarist/bandle ...
'' (1966).


Voodoo influence

As a young man, Rebennack was interested in
New Orleans voodoo The New Orleans VooDoo were a professional arena football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They were members of the Arena Football League from 2004 to 2015. The VooDoo were the second team to play in the Arena Football League and play in ...
, and in Los Angeles he developed the idea of the Dr. John persona for his old friend
Ronnie Barron Ronnie Barron (born Ronald Raymond Barrosse, October 9, 1943, in Algiers, New Orleans – March 20, 1997) was an American actor, keyboardist, organist, and blue-eyed soul singer during the 1970s. He was known for his work as a session music ...
, based on the life of Dr. John, a
Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
ese prince, conjure man, herb doctor, and spiritual healer who came to New Orleans from
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
. This free man of color lived on Bayou Road and claimed to have 15 wives and over 50 children. He kept an assortment of snakes and lizards, along with embalmed scorpions and animal and human skulls, and sold '' gris-gris'', voodoo
amulet An amulet, also known as a good luck charm or phylactery, is an object believed to confer protection upon its possessor. The word "amulet" comes from the Latin word , which Pliny's ''Natural History'' describes as "an object that protects a perso ...
s which supposedly protect the wearer from harm. Rebennack decided to produce a record and a stage show based on this concept, with Dr. John serving as an emblem of New Orleans heritage. Although initially, the plan was for Barron to front the act assuming the identity of "Dr. John", while Rebennack worked behind the scenes as Dr. John's writer, musician, and producer, this did not come to pass. Barron dropped out of the project, and Rebennack took over the role (and identity) of Dr. John. '' Gris-Gris'' became the name of Dr. John's debut album, released in January 1968, representing his own form of "voodoo medicine".


1968–1971: Dr. John, the Night Tripper

Beginning in the late 1960s, Rebennack gained fame as a solo artist after adopting the persona of "Dr. John, The Night Tripper". Dr. John's act combined New Orleans-style
rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...
with
psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...
and elaborate stage shows that bordered on
voodoo Voodoo may refer to: Religions * West African Vodún, a religion practiced by Gbe-speaking ethnic groups * African diaspora religions, a list of related religions sometimes called Vodou/Voodoo ** Candomblé Jejé, also known as Brazilian Vodu ...
religious ceremonies, including elaborate costumes and headdress. In 1970, when Howard Smith asked him where the name "Dr. John the Night Tripper" came from, he responded, "Before that I was Professor Bizarre. Cats used to call me things like "Bishop" or "Governor" or somethin' but they started callin' me "Doctor" for a while, so I just hung it on myself for keeps." On the earliest Dr. John records, the artist billing was "Dr. John, The Night Tripper", while the songwriting credits billed him as "Dr. John Creaux". Within a few years, the "Night Tripper" subtitle was dropped, and Rebennack resumed using his real name for writing and producing/arranging credits. '' Gris-Gris'', his 1968 debut album combining voodoo rhythms and chants with the New Orleans music tradition, was ranked 143rd on ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
''′s "
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indu ...
" list. Three more albums, ''
Babylon Babylon ( ) was an ancient city located on the lower Euphrates river in southern Mesopotamia, within modern-day Hillah, Iraq, about south of modern-day Baghdad. Babylon functioned as the main cultural and political centre of the Akkadian-s ...
'' (1969), '' Remedies'' (1970) and '' The Sun, Moon & Herbs'' (1971), were released in the same vein as ''Gris-Gris''. During early to mid-1969, Dr. John toured extensively, backed by supporting musicians Richard "Didymus" Washington (congas), Richard Crooks (drums), David L. Johnson (bass), Gary Carino (guitar), and singers Eleanor Barooshian, Jeanette Jacobs from The Cake, and Sherry Graddie. A second lineup formed later in the year for an extensive tour of the East Coast with Crooks and Johnson joined by Doug Hastings (guitar) and Don MacAllister (mandolin). The same year, Dr. John contributed to the '' Music from Free Creek'' "supersession" project, playing on three tracks with
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
. Washington and Crooks also contributed to the project. By the time ''The Sun, Moon & Herbs'' was released, he had gained a notable cult following, which included artists such as
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
and
Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...
, who both took part in the sessions for that album. This album served as a transition from his Night Tripper voodoo, psychedelic persona to one more closely associated with traditional New Orleans R&B and funk. His next album, ''Dr. John's Gumbo'', with drummer Fred Staehle serving as the band's backbone, proved to be a landmark recording and is one of his most popular to this day.


1972–1974: ''Gumbo'', ''In the Right Place'', and ''Desitively Bonnaroo''

Along with '' Gris-Gris'', Dr. John is perhaps best known for his recordings in the period 1972–74. 1972's '' Dr. John's Gumbo'', an album covering several New Orleans R&B standards with only one original, is considered a cornerstone of New Orleans music. In his 1994 autobiography, ''Under a Hoodoo Moon'', Dr. John writes, "In 1972, I recorded ''Gumbo'', an album that was both a tribute to and my interpretation of the music I had grown up with in New Orleans in the late 1940s and 1950s. I tried to keep a lot of little changes that were characteristic of New Orleans, while working my own funknology on piano and guitar." The lead single from the album, "
Iko Iko "Iko Iko" () is a much-covered New Orleans song that tells of a parade collision between two tribes of Mardi Gras Indians and the traditional confrontation. The song, under the original title "Jock-A-Mo", was written and released in 1953 as a si ...
", broke into the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart, eventually reaching No. 71. In 2003 the album was ranked number 404 on ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. With ''Gumbo'', Dr. John expanded his career beyond the psychedelic voodoo music and theatrics which had driven his career since he took on the Dr. John persona, although it always remained an integral part of his music and identity. It was not until 1998's ''Anutha Zone'' that he again concentrated on this aspect of his music wholly for a full album. "After we cut the new record", he wrote, "I decided I'd had enough of the mighty-coo-de-fiyo hoodoo show, so I dumped the Gris-Gris routine we had been touring with since 1967 and worked up a new act—a
Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ; also known as Shrove Tuesday) is the final day of Carnival (also known as Shrovetide or Fastelavn); it thus falls on the day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. is French for "Fat Tuesday", referring to it being ...
revue featuring the New Orleans standards we had covered in ''Gumbo''." In early 1973 Thomas Jefferson Kaye produced an album featuring a collaboration with Dr. John,
Mike Bloomfield Michael Bernard Bloomfield (July 28, 1943 – February 15, 1981) was an American blues guitarist and composer. Born in Chicago, he became one of the first popular music stars of the 1960s to earn his reputation almost entirely on his instrume ...
and John Paul Hammond. This album, ''Triumvirate'', was recorded in Columbia Studios, San Francisco, and Village Recorders, Los Angeles. In 1973, with
Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descr ...
producing and
The Meters The Meters (later The Funky Meters) are an American funk band formed in 1965 in New Orleans by Zigaboo Modeliste (drums), George Porter Jr. (bass), Leo Nocentelli (guitar) and Art Neville (keyboards). The band performed and recorded their o ...
backing, Dr. John released the seminal New Orleans funk album ''
In the Right Place ''In the Right Place'' is the sixth album by the New Orleans R&B artist Dr. John. The album was released on Atco Records in 1973, and became the biggest selling album of Dr. John's career. The song "Such a Night" was also performed as part of Th ...
''. In the same way that ''Gris-Gris'' introduced the world to the voodoo-influenced side of his music, and in the manner that '' Dr. John's Gumbo'' began his career-long reputation as an esteemed interpreter of New Orleans standards, ''In the Right Place'' established Dr. John as one of the main ambassadors of New Orleans funk. In describing the album, Dr. John stated, "The album had more of a straight-ahead dance feel than ones I had done in the past, although it was still anchored solid in R&B." It rose to No. 24 on the ''Billboard'' album chart. In July 1973, the single "Right Place, Wrong Time" peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, as well as peaking at No. 19 on the
Hot Soul Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 po ...
chart. A second single, "Such a Night", peaked at No. 42. Still in heavy rotation on most classic rock stations, "Right Place Wrong Time" remains his most recognized song. Artists such as
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
,
Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...
, and
Doug Sahm Douglas Wayne Sahm (November 6, 1941 – November 18, 1999) was an American musician, singer-songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from San Antonio, Texas. He is regarded as a key Tejano music, Tex-Mex music and Music of Texas, Texan Music pe ...
contributed single lines to the lyrics, which lists several instances of ironic bad luck and failure. Dr. John attempted to capitalize on ''
In the Right Place ''In the Right Place'' is the sixth album by the New Orleans R&B artist Dr. John. The album was released on Atco Records in 1973, and became the biggest selling album of Dr. John's career. The song "Such a Night" was also performed as part of Th ...
''s successful formula, again collaborating with Allen Toussaint and The Meters, for his next album, ''
Desitively Bonnaroo ''Desitively Bonnaroo'' is a 1974 album by the New Orleans rhythm and blues musician Dr. John. The album was produced by Allen Toussaint and features sizable musical support from The Meters. The album mines the territory featured on his previou ...
'' – from part of which a Tennessee festival took as its name – released in 1974. Although similar in feel to ''
In the Right Place ''In the Right Place'' is the sixth album by the New Orleans R&B artist Dr. John. The album was released on Atco Records in 1973, and became the biggest selling album of Dr. John's career. The song "Such a Night" was also performed as part of Th ...
'', it failed to catch hold in the mainstream as its predecessor had done. It did produce the single "(Everybody Wanna Get Rich) Rite Away", which peaked at No. 92 on the
Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), ...
chart, and to date is the last time he hit the Hot 100. It was his last pure funk album until 1994's ''Television'', although like his voodoo and traditional New Orleans R&B influences, funk continued to heavily influence most of his work to the end, especially his live concerts. In the mid-1970s Dr. John began an almost 20-year collaboration with the R&R Hall of Fame/Songwriters Hall of Fame writer
Doc Pomus Jerome Solon Felder (June 27, 1925 – March 14, 1991), known professionally as Doc Pomus, was an American blues singer and songwriter. He is best known as the co-writer of many rock and roll hits. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hal ...
, to create songs for Dr. John's releases ''City Lights'' and ''Tango Palace'', and for B.B. King's Stuart Levine-produced ''There Must Be a Better World Somewhere'', which won a Grammy for Best Ethnic or Traditional Recording in 1982. Dr. John also recorded "I'm On a Roll" – the last song written with Pomus prior to his death in 1991 – for the now out-of-print Rhino/Forward Records 1995 tribute to Pomus titled ''Til the Night Is Gone: A Tribute to Doc Pomus''. The tribute included covers of Pomus-penned songs by
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
,
John Hiatt John Robert Hiatt (born August 20, 1952) is an American singer-songwriter. He has played a variety of musical styles on his albums, including New wave music, new wave, blues, and country music, country. Hiatt has been nominated for nine Gramm ...
,
Shawn Colvin Shawn Colvin (born Shawna Lee Colvin, January 10, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 1997 Grammy Award-winning song "Sunny Came Home". Early life Colvin was born Shawna Lee Colvin in Vermillion, South Dakota, and ...
,
Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025) was an American musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop compositio ...
,
The Band The Band was a Canadian-American rock music, rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1957. It consisted of the Canadians Rick Danko (bass, guitar, vocals, fiddle), Garth Hudson (organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophone), Richard Manuel (piano, d ...
,
Los Lobos Los Lobos (, Spanish for "the Wolves") is a Mexican American rock group, rock band from East Los Angeles, California. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, zydeco, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul, and traditional ...
, Dion,
Rosanne Cash Rosanne Cash (born May 24, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter and author. She is the eldest daughter of country musician Johnny Cash and his first wife, Vivian Cash. Although Cash is often classified as a country artist, her music draws f ...
,
Solomon Burke Solomon Vincent McDonald Burke (born James Solomon McDonald, March 21, 1940 – October 10, 2010) was an American singer who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the 1960s. He has been called ...
, and
Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...
. According to Pomus' daughter, Dr. John and her father were very close friends as well as writing partners. Dr. John delivered one of a number of eulogies and performed with singer
Jimmy Scott James Victor Scott (July 17, 1925 – June 12, 2014), known professionally as Little Jimmy Scott or Jimmy Scott, was an American jazz vocalist known for his high natural contralto voice and his sensitivity on ballads and love songs. After ...
at Pomus' funeral on March 17, 1991, in New York City. On Thanksgiving Day 1976 he performed "Such a Night" at the farewell concert for
The Band The Band was a Canadian-American rock music, rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1957. It consisted of the Canadians Rick Danko (bass, guitar, vocals, fiddle), Garth Hudson (organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophone), Richard Manuel (piano, d ...
, which was filmed by
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
and released as ''
The Last Waltz ''The Last Waltz'' was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group the Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. ''The Last Waltz'' was advertised as the Band's "farewell concert a ...
''. In 1979, he collaborated with the legendary
Professor Longhair Henry Roeland Byrd (December 19, 1918 – January 30, 1980), better known as Professor Longhair or "Fess" for short, was an American singer and pianist who performed New Orleans blues. He was active in two distinct periods, first in the heyday o ...
on Fess' (another nickname for Henry Byrd) last recording, '' Crawfish Fiesta'', as a guitarist and co-producer. The album received the first W.C. Handy Blues Album of the Year award in 1980, and was released shortly after Longhair's death in January 1980.


Later work

By the mid-1970s, Rebennack was focusing on a blend of music that touched on blues, New Orleans R&B,
Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of History of music publishing, music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the American popular music, popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Originally ...
standards, and more. In 1975, his manager, Richard Flanzer, hired producer
Bob Ezrin Robert Alan Ezrin (born March 25, 1949) is a Canadian music producer and keyboardist, best known for his work with Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Kiss, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Peter Gabriel, Andrea Bocelli and Phish. As of 2010, Ezri ...
, and ''
Hollywood Be Thy Name ''Hollywood Be Thy Name'' is a live album by New Orleans R&B artist Dr. John. It was produced by producer Bob Ezrin. The recording venue, Willie Purple's Niteclub, was in reality Cherokee Recording Studios with a live audience. Track listing ...
'' was recorded live at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, California. The studio was transformed into a New Orleans nightclub for the sessions. In 1981 and 1983, Dr. John recorded two solo piano albums, ''Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack'' and ''The Brightest Smile in Town'', for the
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
-based Clean Cuts label. In these two recordings he played many of his own
boogie-woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, but already developed in African-American communities since the 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually ex ...
compositions. Dr. John was also a prominent session musician throughout his career. He provided back-up vocals on the
Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
' 1972 song " Let It Loose", and backed
Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Billboard Hot 100, top 40 U.S. hits include "Anticipation (song), Anticipatio ...
and
James Taylor James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A six-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. Taylor achieved his breakthrough in 1970 with the single "Fi ...
in their duet of "
Mockingbird Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the family (biology), family Mimidae. They are best known for the habit of some species Mimicry, mimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians, often loudly ...
" (from '' Hotcakes'') in 1974, and
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling musicians of all time. He has written and ...
on ''
Beautiful Noise ''Beautiful Noise'' is the tenth album by American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, released in 1976. Diamond's third album with Columbia Records, it was produced by Robbie Robertson, known for his work with The Band. Garth Hudson of The Band a ...
'' in 1976. He also contributed the song "More and More" to Simon's ''
Playing Possum ''Playing Possum'' is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on April 16, 1975. It was Simon's third consecutive album to reach the top 10 on the ''Billboard'' Pop albums chart, peaking a ...
'' album. He played on 3 songs on the 1973 debut solo album by Maria Muldaur, including his composition "Three Dollar Bill". He sang on four songs and played piano on two songs on Muldaur's 1992 '' Louisiana Love Call''. He was co-producer on
Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...
's 1977 album '' A Period of Transition'' and also played keyboards and guitar. He contributed three songs as writer or co-writer ("Washer Woman", "The Ties That Bind", and "That's My Home") and also played guitar and keyboards on Levon Helm's 1977 release, '' Levon Helm & the RCO All-Stars''. He performed on the March 19, 1977, episode of NBC's ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''. He played keyboards on the highly successful 1979 solo debut album by
Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. Over the course of a career that spans five decades and 15 studio albums, she has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, an ...
. He toured with
Willy DeVille Willy DeVille (born William Paul Borsey Jr.; August 25, 1950 – August 6, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter. During his thirty-five-year career, first with his band Mink DeVille (1974–1986) and later on his own, DeVille created song ...
and contributed to his albums ''
Return to Magenta ''Return to Magenta'', issued in 1978, is the second album by the rock band Mink DeVille. The album was the last to feature all the original members of the band. For this album the band was joined by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Steve Dougla ...
'' (1978), ''
Victory Mixture ''Victory Mixture'' is a 1990 album by Willy DeVille. The album consists of cover versions of New Orleans R&B and soul classics by DeVille’s musical idols. Trouser Press said about the album, “A rootsy covers collection, ''Victory Mixture' ...
'' (1990), ''
Backstreets of Desire ''Backstreets of Desire'' is an album by Willy DeVille. It was recorded in various Los Angeles recording studios in 1992. To make the album, DeVille was joined by many prominent musicians, including Dr. John, David Hidalgo of Los Lobos, Zachary R ...
'' (1992), and '' Big Easy Fantasy'' (1995). In 1997 he contributed piano and vocals to the
Spiritualized Spiritualized (stylised as Spiritualized®) are an English rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Jason Pierce (often known as J. Spaceman), formerly of Spacemen 3. After several line up-changes, in 1999, the band centred on Pie ...
song "Cop Shoot Cop" which appears on their album, ''
Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space ''Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space'' is the third studio album by English space rock band Spiritualized, released on 16 June 1997. The album features guest appearances from the Balanescu Quartet, the London Community Gospel Choir an ...
''. His music was featured in many films, including "New Looks" in ''National Lampoon's European Vacation'' in 1985 and "Such a Night" in ''Colors'' in 1988. In 1992, Dr. John released the album '' Goin' Back to New Orleans'', which included many classic songs from New Orleans. Many great New Orleans–based musicians, such as
Aaron Neville Aaron Joseph Neville (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer renowned for his distinctively smooth, vibrato-heavy tenor and a genre-crossing career that spans R&B, soul, gospel, jazz, country, and pop. He gained national prominence with hi ...
,
the Neville Brothers The Neville Brothers were an American R&B/soul/funk group, formed in 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana. History The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art (1937–2019), Charles (1938–2018), Aaron (b. 19 ...
,
Al Hirt Alois Maxwell "Al" Hirt (November 7, 1922 – April 27, 1999) was an American trumpeter and bandleader. He is best remembered for his million-selling recordings of "Java (instrumental), Java" and the accompanying album ''Honey in the Horn (album ...
and
Pete Fountain Pierre Dewey LaFontaine Jr. (July 3, 1930 – August 6, 2016), known professionally as Pete Fountain, was an American jazz clarinetist. Early life and education LaFontaine was born to Pierre, Sr. and Madeline, in a small Creole cottage-style fr ...
, backed up Dr. John on this album. He also performed as the first American artist at the Franco Follies festival in 1992. Dr. John's longtime confidant and former personal manager, Paul Howrilla, was responsible for moving Dr. John from Los Angeles to New York and securing "crossover" work, as well as modifying Dr. John's image from the 1970s to the 1990s. Paul Howrilla was the brains behind the scenes, as Dr. John would attest. They remained close friends. Dr. John also provided vocals for Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits' "Luv dat chicken ..." jingle, as well as the
theme song Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...
("My Opinionation") for the early-1990s television
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
''
Blossom In botany, blossoms are the flowers of stone fruit trees (genus ''Prunus'') and of some other plants with a similar appearance that flower profusely for a period of time in spring. Colloquially, flowers of orange are referred to as such as w ...
''. A version of "
Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans" is a song written by Eddie DeLange and Louis Alter, which was first heard in the movie ''New Orleans'' in 1947, where it was performed by Louis Armstrong and sung by Billie Holiday Billie Holi ...
" with
Harry Connick Jr. Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and former television host. As of 2019, he has sold over 30 million records worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top60 best-selling ma ...
was released on Connick's album '' 20'' and VHS ''
Singin' & Swingin' ''Singin' & Swingin' '' is the home video debut of Harry Connick, Jr. from 1990 at the age of 22. The video contains five musicvideos, and three songs performed live at the Dominion Theatre in London, as well as an exclusive interview. The VHS wa ...
'' in 1990. Dr. John moved back to Louisiana in 2009. From the late 1970s to 1991, Dr. John co-wrote over 115 songs with legendary
Brill Building The Brill Building is an office building at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and farther uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood. The Brill Building hous ...
songwriter
Doc Pomus Jerome Solon Felder (June 27, 1925 – March 14, 1991), known professionally as Doc Pomus, was an American blues singer and songwriter. He is best known as the co-writer of many rock and roll hits. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hal ...
. Some of the songs created with Pomus were recorded by
Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (29 December 1946 – 30 January 2025) was an English singer and actress who achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her UK top 10 single " As Tears Go By". She became one of the leading female art ...
,
B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...
,
Irma Thomas Irma Thomas ( Lee; born February 18, 1941) is an American singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans". Thomas is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but never experienced their level of commercial succ ...
,
Johnny Adams Laten John Adams Jr. (January 5, 1932 – September 14, 1998), was an American blues, jazz and gospel singer, known as "The Tan Canary" for the multi-octave range of his singing voice, his swooping vocal mannerisms and falsetto. His biggest ...
, and others. On March 17, 1991, Dr. John performed "My Buddy" at the funeral for Pomus. His movie credits included
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
's documentary ''
The Last Waltz ''The Last Waltz'' was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group the Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. ''The Last Waltz'' was advertised as the Band's "farewell concert a ...
'', in which he joined
the Band The Band was a Canadian-American rock music, rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1957. It consisted of the Canadians Rick Danko (bass, guitar, vocals, fiddle), Garth Hudson (organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophone), Richard Manuel (piano, d ...
for a performance of his song "Such a Night", the 1978 Beatles-inspired musical ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'', and ''
Blues Brothers 2000 ''Blues Brothers 2000'' is a 1998 American musical action comedy film directed by John Landis from a screenplay written by Landis and Dan Aykroyd, both of whom were also producers, and starring Aykroyd and John Goodman. The film serves as a seq ...
'', in which he joined the fictional band
the Louisiana Gator Boys ''Blues Brothers 2000'' is a 1998 American musical action comedy film directed by John Landis from a screenplay written by Landis and Dan Aykroyd, both of whom were also producers, and starring Aykroyd and John Goodman. The film serves as a seq ...
to perform the songs "
How Blue Can You Get "How Blue Can You Get" (alternatively "Downhearted") is a blues song first recorded by Johnny Moore's Three Blazers in 1949. It is a slow twelve-bar blues that jazz critic Leonard Feather and his wife, Jane Feather, are credited with writing. Th ...
" and "New Orleans". His version of the
Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter and record producer. He emerged from the British folk scene in early 1965 and subsequently scored multiple international hit singles ...
song " Season of the Witch" was also featured in this movie and on the soundtrack. In 1996, he performed the song "
Cruella de Ville Cruella de Ville, formerly known as Blazer, was a band from Northern Ireland that presented a mixture of post-punk and gothic rock from 1982 to 1984. They were mostly a studio band, who performed on television on at least two occasions and rel ...
" during the end credits of the film ''
101 Dalmatians 101 Dalmatians may refer to: * '' The Hundred and One Dalmatians'', a 1956 novel written by Dodie Smith * 101 Dalmatians (franchise), a Disney film franchise based on the novel ** '' One Hundred and One Dalmatians'', a 1961 animated film based on ...
''. He wrote and performed the score for the film version of John Steinbeck's ''Cannery Row'' released in 1982. His hit song "Right Place Wrong Time" was used extensively in the movies '' Dazed and Confused'' and ''
Sahara The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...
'' and the series '' American Horror Story: Coven''. Dr. John was also featured in several video and audio blues and New Orleans piano lessons published by Homespun Tapes. Other documentary film scores include the New Orleans dialect film ''Yeah You Rite!'' (1985) and '' American Tongues'' in 1987. Between July and September 1989, Dr. John toured in the first
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band is a live rock music, rock Supergroup (music), supergroup founded in 1989 with shifting personnel, led by former The Beatles, Beatles drummer and vocalist Ringo Starr. History and description Since 1989, Starr ...
, alongside
Levon Helm Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm (May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012) was an American musician who achieved fame as the drummer and one of the three lead vocalists for The Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Hel ...
,
Rick Danko Richard Clare Danko (December 29, 1943 – December 10, 1999) was a Canadian musician, bassist, songwriter, and singer, best known as a founding member of The Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. During ...
,
Nils Lofgren Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a memb ...
,
Jim Keltner James Lee Keltner (born April 27, 1942) is an American drummer and percussionist known primarily for his session work. He was characterized by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes as "the leading session drummer in America". Howard Sounes. ''Do ...
,
Joe Walsh Joseph Fidler Walsh (born Joseph Woodward Fidler; November 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Best known as a member of the rock band Eagles (band), Eagles, his five-decade career includes solo work and stints in other ...
,
Billy Preston William Everett Preston (September 2, 1946 – June 6, 2006) was an American keyboardist, singer, and songwriter whose work encompassed R&B, rock, soul, funk, and gospel. Preston was a top session keyboardist in the 1960s, backing Little Richa ...
,
Clarence Clemons Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American saxophonist. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. Clemons rel ...
and himself of piano, bass and vocals. The tour produced the 1990 live album '' Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band''. In 1997, he appeared on the charity single version of
Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...
's " Perfect Day". In the same year, he played piano on the
Spiritualized Spiritualized (stylised as Spiritualized®) are an English rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Jason Pierce (often known as J. Spaceman), formerly of Spacemen 3. After several line up-changes, in 1999, the band centred on Pie ...
song "Cop Shoot Cop ...", from their critically acclaimed album ''
Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space ''Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space'' is the third studio album by English space rock band Spiritualized, released on 16 June 1997. The album features guest appearances from the Balanescu Quartet, the London Community Gospel Choir an ...
''. Frontman
Jason Pierce Jason Andrew Pierce (born 19 November 1965 in Rugby) is an English musician. Currently the frontman and sole permanent member of the band Spiritualized, he previously co-fronted the alternative rock band Spacemen 3 with Peter Kember from 19 ...
, a fan of Dr. John's music, reciprocated by guesting on Dr. John's 1998 album '' Anutha Zone'' along with drummer Damon Reece and guitarist Thighpaulsandra. He recorded the live album ''Trippin' Live'' with drummer Herman V. Ernest III, David Barard, bass, Tommy Moran, guitar, trumpeter Charlie Miller, tenor Red Tyler, and baritone sax
Ronnie Cuber Ronald Edward Cuber (December 25, 1941 – October 7, 2022) was an American jazz saxophonist. He also played in Latin, pop, rock, and blues sessions. In addition to his primary instrument, baritone sax, he played tenor sax, soprano sax, clarinet, ...
. In September 2005, he performed
Bobby Charles ''This is an article about the singer-songwriter. For the Maine gubernatorial candidate, see Robert B. Charles'' Robert Charles Guidry (February 21, 1938 – January 14, 2010), known as Bobby Charles, was an American singer-songwriter. Ear ...
' "Walkin' to New Orleans", to close the '' Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast''
telethon A telethon (a portmanteau of "television" and "marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other cause. Most telethons feature heavy solicitatio ...
. This was for the relief of
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
victims, following the devastation of his hometown of New Orleans. In November 2005, he released a four-song EP, ''Sippiana Hericane'', to benefit New Orleans Musicians Clinic,
Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...
, and the Jazz Foundation of America. On February 5, 2006, he joined fellow New Orleans native
Aaron Neville Aaron Joseph Neville (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer renowned for his distinctively smooth, vibrato-heavy tenor and a genre-crossing career that spans R&B, soul, gospel, jazz, country, and pop. He gained national prominence with hi ...
, Detroit resident
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
and a 150-member choir for the
national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European ...
at
Super Bowl XL Super Bowl XL was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2005 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers season, Pittsburgh S ...
as part of a pre-game tribute to New Orleans. On February 8, 2006, he joined
Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descr ...
,
Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...
,
The Edge David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is a British-Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist o ...
, and
Irma Thomas Irma Thomas ( Lee; born February 18, 1941) is an American singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans". Thomas is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but never experienced their level of commercial succ ...
to perform "We Can Can" as the closing performance at the
Grammy Awards of 2006 The 48th Annual Grammy Awards took place on February 8, 2006, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning from October 1, 2004, through September 30, 2005. Irish rock band U2 we ...
. In 2014 he performed at the
NBA All Star Game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is the annual all-star game hosted each February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's star players. Since 2022, it was held on the third Sunday of February ...
as did
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
and
Janelle Monáe Janelle Monáe Robinson ( ; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress. She has received ten Grammy Award nominations, and is the recipient of a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Children's and Family Emmy Award. ...
. On May 12, 2006, Dr. John recorded a live session at
Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a music recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, London, Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of ...
for ''
Live from Abbey Road ''Live from Abbey Road'' is a 12-part, one-hour performance series/documentary that began filming its first season during 2006 at Abbey Road Studios in London. Season 2 was filmed between 2007 and 2008, season 3 was filmed in 2009 and Season 4 w ...
''. His performance was aired alongside those of
LeAnn Rimes Margaret LeAnn Rimes Cibrian (born August 28, 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She originally rose to success as a country music artist at the age of 13 and has since crossed over into pop, contemporary Christian, and o ...
and
Massive Attack Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol, England, by Robert Del Naja, Robert "3D" Del Naja, Daddy G, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall, Tricky (musician), Adrian "Tricky" Thaws and Andrew Vowles, Andrew "Mushroom" ...
on the
Sundance Channel Sundance Channel can refer to: * Sundance TV, formerly known as Sundance Channel (United States). * Sundance Channel (Canada) * Sundance Channel (Netherlands) * Sundance Channel (Europe) Sundance Channel can refer to: * Sundance TV Sundance TV ...
in the US and
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
in the UK. He performed the opening theme music to the
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
children's program ''
Curious George Curious George is a fictional monkey who is the title character of a series of popular children's picture books written and illustrated by Margret and H. A. Rey. Various media, including films and TV shows, have been based upon the original ...
'', broadcast since 2006. On July 30, 2006, Dr. John performed a solo piano benefit for New Orleans composer and arranger
Wardell Quezergue Wardell Joseph Quezergue ( ; March 12, 1930 – September 6, 2011) was an American composer, arranger, record producer and bandleader, known among New Orleans musicians as the "Creole Beethoven". Steeped in jazz, he was an influential musician who ...
( King Floyd's "Groove Me") at a New Orleans Musicians Relief Fund benefit at the Black Orchid Theatre in Chicago. Special guest
Mike Mills Michael Edward Mills (born December 17, 1958) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Though known primarily as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of R.E.M., hi ...
of
R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...
was in attendance, along with an all-star funk band. Dr. John performed the theme music to the
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
drama '' K-Ville''. In 2007, he contributed to '' Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino'', performing "
Don't Leave Me This Way "Don't Leave Me This Way" is a song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Cary Gilbert. It was originally released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, an act signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia Interna ...
". In January 2008, Dr. John was inducted into The
Louisiana Music Hall of Fame The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame (LMHOF) is a non-profit hall of fame based in Baton Rouge, the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana, that seeks to honor and preserve the state's music culture and heritage and to promote education about the sta ...
. Later, in February, he performed at All-Star Saturday Night, part of the NBA All-Star Weekend hosted by New Orleans. The same year, Dr. John released his Grammy Award-winning ''City that Care Forgot'', about Hurricane Katrina's devastation in New Orleans. In the 2009
Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
film ''
The Princess and the Frog ''The Princess and the Frog'' is a 2009 American Animation, animated musical film, musical Romance film, romantic fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Inspired in part by the 2002 ...
'', Dr. John sang the opening tune, "
Down in New Orleans ''Down in New Orleans'' is a gospel album by The Blind Boys of Alabama, released in 2008. It won the award for Best Traditional Gospel Album at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards. At the 40th GMA Dove Awards, the album was named the Traditional Gosp ...
". He reigned as King of the
Krewe du Vieux The Krewe du Vieux is a New Orleans Mardi Gras krewe more fully known as the Krewe du Vieux Carré. History and formation The parade begins in the Marigny and slowly meanders its way through the Vieux Carre (a term for the city's French Q ...
for the 2010
New Orleans Mardi Gras The holiday of Mardi Gras is celebrated in southern Louisiana, including the city of New Orleans. Celebrations are concentrated for about two weeks before and through Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday (the start of lent in the West ...
season. On May 13, 2010, Dr. John played alongside
The Roots The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...
on ''
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon ''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of the '' Late Night'' franchise. Hosted by Jimmy Fallon,
'' (episode 246) and was warmly greeted by Jimmy's first guest,
Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership wi ...
. In June 2010, Dr John played at the
Glastonbury festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...
,
Shepton Mallet Shepton Mallet is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in Somerset, England, some southwest of Bath, Somerset, Bath, south of Bristol and east of Wells, Somerset, Wells. It had an estimated population of 10,810 in 2019. ...
, UK. Dr. John played keyboards and had a major role in shaping
Gregg Allman Gregory LeNoir Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman B ...
's 2011 album ''Low Country Blues'', which was produced by
T-Bone Burnett Joseph Henry "T Bone" Burnett III (born January 14, 1948) is an American record producer, guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band during the 1970s. Burnett has won several Grammy Awards for his work on film sou ...
. In 2011, he collaborated with
Hugh Laurie James Hugh Calum Laurie (; born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian, singer, musician and writer. He first gained professional recognition as a member of the English comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry. Fry and Laurie act ...
on the song "After You've Gone" on Laurie's album '' Let Them Talk''. The same year, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint and The Meters performed ''Desitively Bonnaroo'' at the
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Bonnaroo (or Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival) is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Bonnaroo has taken place at what is now Great Stage Park, a 700-acre (280 ha) far ...
in Manchester, Tennessee, as part of the festival's tenth year celebration. The name of the festival was taken from the 1974 Dr. John album, ''Desitively Bonnaroo''. The same year he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling musicians of all time. He has written and ...
,
Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...
,
Darlene Love Darlene Wright (born July 26, 1941), also known by the stage name Darlene Love, is an American R&B and soul singer and actress. She was the lead singer of the girl group the Blossoms and also a solo recording artist. She began singing as a ch ...
and
Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on society's underworld and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He began in the American folk music, fo ...
. In 2012, Dr. John released ''Locked Down'', a collaboration with
Dan Auerbach Daniel Quine Auerbach (; born May 14, 1979) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer, best known as the guitarist and vocalist of The Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio. As a member of the group, Auerbach has ...
of
The Black Keys The Black Keys are an American Rock music, rock duo formed in Akron, Ohio in 2001. The group consists of Dan Auerbach (guitar, Singing, vocals) and Patrick Carney (Drum kit, drums). The duo began as an Independent music, independent act, record ...
, who produced the record and played guitar on it. The album received very positive reviews for its raw,
Afrobeat Afrobeat (also known as Afrofunk) is a West African music genre, fusing influences from Nigerian (such as Yoruba) and Ghanaian (such as highlife) music, with American funk, jazz, and soul influences. With a focus on chanted vocals, complex i ...
-influenced sound. The ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' said that it showed Dr. John "exiting a period of relative creative stagnation by creating something magical, the embodiment of everything he's done but pushed in a clear new direction". It won a Grammy Award, as did Auerbach for producing it. In 2014, Dr. John released a
Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
tribute album, '' Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch'', on Concord Records USA and Proper Records in Europe. Dr. John described the inspiration of the album as Louis Armstrong coming to him in a dream and telling him "do my music your way". The ''Los Angeles Times'' said, "Tribute albums come and go, but it's a real rarity that can snap a listener to attention like Dr. John's new salute to jazz founding father Louis Armstrong." That spring, "The Musical Mojo of Mac", a New Orleans concert to honor Dr. John, was introduced by
Brian Williams Brian Douglas Williams (born May 5, 1959) is an American journalist and television news anchor. He was a correspondent for ''NBC Nightly News'' starting in 1993, before his promotion to anchorman, anchor and managing editor of the broadcast in ...
and kicked off by
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American Rock music, rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Nicknamed "the Boss", Springsteen has released 21 studio albums spanning six decades; most of his albums feature th ...
singing "Right Place, Wrong Time", with Dr. John and an all-star band which included event producer
Don Was Don Edward Fagenson (born September 13, 1952), known professionally as Don Was (), is an American musician, record producer, music director, film composer, documentary filmmaker and radio host. Since 2011, he has also served as president of the ...
on bass. Dr. John recorded "
Let 'Em In "Let 'Em In" is a song by Wings from their 1976 album '' Wings at the Speed of Sound''. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and reached the top 3 in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada. It was a No. 2 hit in the UK; in t ...
" in the
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
tribute album '' The Art of McCartney''. "It's a wonder to behold, as the ageless Dr. John re-envisions "Let 'Em In" as a laconic come on, an invitation to party or maybe something more, once a few more glasses have been raised", wrote Something Else. "At the same time, he ends up lacing the song with darker feelings, as well."
Foo Fighters The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...
'
Dave Grohl David Eric Grohl (; born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He founded the rock band Foo Fighters, of which he is the lead singer, guitarist, principal songwriter, and only consistent member. From 1990 to 1994, he was the drummer of th ...
interviewed Dr. John about music in the New Orleans-themed episode of their
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
series ''
Sonic Highways ''Sonic Highways'' is the eighth studio album by American rock band Foo Fighters, released on November 10, 2014, through Roswell and RCA Records. Similar to their previous album, '' Wasting Light'' (2011), it was produced by the band with Butc ...
'' "(including the hypnotic reveal of Dr. John's given name)", wrote a Decider reviewer. From 2014 to 2016, Dr. John performed with an alternate band, including at a Hollywood Bowl tribute "Yes We Can Can" for his late friend
Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descr ...
on July 20, 2016. Also performing Allen Toussaint compositions were New Orleans artists
Irma Thomas Irma Thomas ( Lee; born February 18, 1941) is an American singer from New Orleans. She is known as the "Soul Queen of New Orleans". Thomas is a contemporary of Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but never experienced their level of commercial succ ...
,
Cyril Neville Cyril Garrett Neville (born October 10, 1948) is an American percussionist and vocalist who first came to prominence as a member of his brother Art Neville's funky New Orleans–based band, The Meters. He joined Art in the Neville Brothers band u ...
, the band
Galactic Galactic is an American funk band from New Orleans, Louisiana. Origins and background Formed in 1994 as an octet (under the name Galactic Prophylactic) and including singer Chris Lane and guitarist Rob Gowen, the group was soon pared down to a ...
, and the Allen Toussaint Band. In 2016, a double album and DVD of the concert, ''The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: Celebrating Mac and his Music'', was released. In 2017, Members of Dr. John's band The Gris Gris Krewe with music director Roland Guerin performed "Right Place Wrong Time" in the video kicking off the 2017
NBA All-Star Game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is the annual all-star game hosted each February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's All-star, star players. Since 2022, it was held on the third Sunday of ...
. The same year, Dr. John was a headliner on The Last Waltz 40th Anniversary Tour with Music Directors
Warren Haynes Warren Haynes (born April 6, 1960) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known for his work as longtime guitarist with the Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the jam band Gov't Mule. Early in his career he was ...
and
Don Was Don Edward Fagenson (born September 13, 1952), known professionally as Don Was (), is an American musician, record producer, music director, film composer, documentary filmmaker and radio host. Since 2011, he has also served as president of the ...
, reprising his "Such a Night" performance from the original concert and film with
The Band The Band was a Canadian-American rock music, rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1957. It consisted of the Canadians Rick Danko (bass, guitar, vocals, fiddle), Garth Hudson (organ, keyboards, accordion, saxophone), Richard Manuel (piano, d ...
. The year 2017 also saw his first single "Storm Warning", recorded as a tribute to
Bo Diddley Ellas Otha Bates (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist and singer who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, including Buddy ...
, featured on the ''
Logan Lucky ''Logan Lucky'' is a 2017 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh, based on a screenplay written by his wife Jules Asner (credited as Rebecca Blunt). Soderbergh came out of retirement to direct the film and distributed it indepe ...
'' soundtrack. In April, he joined
John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Every ...
(who inducted him into the Rock Hall) and
Jon Batiste Jonathan Michael Batiste (born November 11, 1986) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, composer, bandleader, and television personality. He has recorded and performed with artists including Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Prince (musician), ...
on ''
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night news satire, news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Stephen Colbert, Spartin ...
'', and he appeared in
Tig Notaro Tig Notaro (born Mathilde O'Callaghan Notaro, March 24, 1971) is an American stand-up comedian, writer, radio contributor, and actress known for her deadpan comedy. Her acclaimed album ''Live'' was nominated in 2014 for the Grammy Award for Best ...
's critically acclaimed Amazon TV series '' One Mississippi''. On November 1, 2017, Dr. John celebrated Mac Month as proclaimed by the
New Orleans City Council The New Orleans City Council is the legislative branch of the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1954 through a home rule charter, it replaced the city’s previous commission form of government created under the 1912 C ...
in a reception at Napoleon House, and his birthday was proclaimed Dr. John Day in the City of New Orleans for the fact that he "rose to international recognition for his musical funkitude in performing, writing and producing." Louisiana Governor
John Bel Edwards John Bel Edwards (born September 16, 1966) is an American politician, attorney, and Army veteran who served as the 56th governor of Louisiana from 2016 to 2024. A Southern Democrat, he previously served in the Louisiana House of Representatives ...
also issued a Statement of Recognition to Dr. John for "embodying the culture of the state from New Orleans to the Bayou." Dr. John's birth date was corrected in 2018 when his hometown newspaper, ''
The Times-Picayune ''The Times-Picayune , The New Orleans Advocate'' (commonly called ''The Times-Picayune'' or the ''T-P'') is an American newspaper published in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ancestral publications of other names date back to January 25, 1837. The cu ...
'', discovered in their records that he was actually born on November 20, 1941, as opposed to the commonly listed November 21, 1940. He added a year to his age as an underage prodigy with a local hit, so he could get into gigs. On September 23, 2022,
Rounder Records Rounder Records is an independent record label founded in 1970 in Somerville, Massachusetts, by Marian Leighton Levy, Ken Irwin, and Bill Nowlin. Focused on American roots music, Rounder's catalogue of more than 3000 titles includes records by A ...
and the Dr. John estate released Dr. John's posthumous country & western album '' Things Happen That Way'' with guests
Aaron Neville Aaron Joseph Neville (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer renowned for his distinctively smooth, vibrato-heavy tenor and a genre-crossing career that spans R&B, soul, gospel, jazz, country, and pop. He gained national prominence with hi ...
,
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor and activist. He was one of the main figures of the outlaw country subgenre that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restr ...
, and
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, sometimes referred to as POTR, is an American country rock band formed in Los Angeles in 2008 by Lukas Nelson, son of country singer Willie Nelson. The band consists of Lukas Nelson (lead vocals, songwrit ...
. "The New Orleans piano man who embodied the musical mélange of his hometown had the kind of drawly, lived-in voice that only improved with age," ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' wrote. "So Things Happen That Way, Dr. John's final album, recorded the year he died, 2019 - captures him in peak form." The album was nominated for a Grammy for Best Americana Album in November 2022. On June 2, 2023, Montreux Jazz Fest and the Dr. John estate released ''Dr. John: The Montreux Years'', with live performances from 1986 to 2012. "It's a great way to say adieu", stated ''Offbeat Magazine''. In November 2023, ''Dr. John: Solo Piano Live in New Orleans 1984'' was released by the Dr. John estate and 501 Record Club. On April 20, 2024, ''Dr. John: Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya: Singles 1968-1974'' was released by
Omnivore An omnivore () is an animal that regularly consumes significant quantities of both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize t ...
and the Dr. John estate, on double purple vinyl as a special
Record Store Day Record Store Day is a semi-annual event established in 2008 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together f ...
release, and as a CD on April 26, 2024. In November, 2024,
When The Saints Go Marching In Medley
' was released by
Montreux Jazz Festival The Montreux Jazz Festival (formerly Festival de Jazz Montreux and Festival International de Jazz Montreux) is a music festival in Switzerland, held annually in early July in Montreux on the Lake Geneva shoreline. It is the second-largest annu ...
and the Dr. John estate, as a preview to the digital album
Dr. John: Live in Montreux 1986
' released to commemorate Dr. John's birthday, Nov. 20.


Musical style

According to ''
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
'', Dr. John "first became a star by taking the sounds and traditions of
New Orleans blues New Orleans blues is a subgenre of blues that developed in and around the city of New Orleans, influenced by jazz and Caribbean music. It is dominated by piano and saxophone, but also produced guitar bluesmen. Characteristics As a style, New ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
, and R&B and twisting them into new forms". ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' described him as a
soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...
,
funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...
and
boogie-woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, but already developed in African-American communities since the 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually ex ...
musician who "became a New Orleans musical icon not as a pop star of the present, but as a channeler of those who came before." ''
NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...
'' placed his style within
New Orleans rhythm and blues New Orleans rhythm and blues is a style of rhythm and blues that originated in New Orleans. It was a direct precursor to rock and roll and strongly influenced ska. Instrumentation typically includes drums, bass, piano, horns, electric guitar, and ...
. ''
Ultimate Classic Rock Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wit ...
'' said that he was known "for his influential brand of
blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre, genre and form of rock music, rock and blues music that relies on the chords/scales and instrumental improvisation of blues. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electri ...
". He was also a "major
swamp rock Swamp rock is a genre of rock music Rock is a Music genre, genre of popular music that originated in the United States as "rock and roll" in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of styles from the mid-1960s, primarily in ...
artist", according to ''Americana UK''.


Personal life and death

Dr. John was married three times and told ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' that he had "a lot" of children. His first wife was Lydia Crow, with whom he had two children, Craig and Karla. His second wife was Lorraine Sherman, with whom he had three children: Tara, Jessica, and Jennifer. His third wife was Cat Yellen. His children Craig and Jessica predeceased him. He also had a granddaughter, Stephanie, and a grandson named Allen O'Quin who predeceased him. He had a
heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...
addiction; however, in December 1989, he completed his final rehabilitation stint with the help of
Narcotics Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous (NA), founded in 1953, describes itself as a "nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem." Narcotics Anonymous uses a 12-step model developed for people with varied subs ...
, and remained clean for the rest of his life. On June 6, 2019, Dr. John died of a
heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
. His family announced through his longtime publicist Karen Dalton Beninato that he died at the break of day, and "he created a unique blend of music which carried his hometown, New Orleans, at its heart, as it was always in his heart."


Awards and honors

The winner of six
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
, Rebennack was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
by singer
John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He began his musical career working behind the scenes for other artists, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Every ...
in March 2011. In May 2013, Rebennack received an honorary doctorate of fine arts from
Tulane University The Tulane University of Louisiana (commonly referred to as Tulane University) is a private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by a cohort of medical doctors, it b ...
. His posthumous album ''Things Happen That Way'' was nominated for a Grammy for Best Americana Album in November 2022.


Filmography

* '' Soundstage - New Orleans Swamp'' (1974), as himself (TV Special featuring
Professor Longhair Henry Roeland Byrd (December 19, 1918 – January 30, 1980), better known as Professor Longhair or "Fess" for short, was an American singer and pianist who performed New Orleans blues. He was active in two distinct periods, first in the heyday o ...
,
Earl King Earl Silas Johnson IV (February 7, 1934 – April 17, 2003),
known as Earl King, was an American singer, guita ...
,
The Meters The Meters (later The Funky Meters) are an American funk band formed in 1965 in New Orleans by Zigaboo Modeliste (drums), George Porter Jr. (bass), Leo Nocentelli (guitar) and Art Neville (keyboards). The band performed and recorded their o ...
& Dr. John) * ''
The Last Waltz ''The Last Waltz'' was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group the Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. ''The Last Waltz'' was advertised as the Band's "farewell concert a ...
'' (1978), as himself (performs "Such A Night") * '' SCTV'', episode 80, (1981), as himself (appears in sketch "Polynesian Town"; performs "Iko Iko" and "Such a Night") * ''
Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the first installment of the '' Late Night''. Hosted by David Letterman, it aired from February1, 1982 to June 25, 1993, and was replaced by ...
'' (April 27, 1982), as himself (accompanying
Sippie Wallace Sippie Wallace (born Beulah Belle Thomas; November 1, 1898 – November 1, 1986) was an American blues singer, pianist and songwriter. Her early career in tent shows gained her the billing "The Texas Nightingale". Between 1923 and 1927, she recor ...
and
Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...
on "Women Be Wise") * ''
Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the first installment of the '' Late Night''. Hosted by David Letterman, it aired from February1, 1982 to June 25, 1993, and was replaced by ...
'' (March 17, 1983), as himself (performs "Such A Night") * ''
Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the first installment of the '' Late Night''. Hosted by David Letterman, it aired from February1, 1982 to June 25, 1993, and was replaced by ...
'' (September 7, 1987), as himself (performs "Accentuate The Positive") * ''
Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the first installment of the '' Late Night''. Hosted by David Letterman, it aired from February1, 1982 to June 25, 1993, and was replaced by ...
'' (December 15, 1989), as himself (performs "Silent Night") * ''
Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the first installment of the '' Late Night''. Hosted by David Letterman, it aired from February1, 1982 to June 25, 1993, and was replaced by ...
'' (December 28, 1990), as himself (performs duet of "Merry Christmas, Baby" with Charles Brown) * ''
Yakety Yak, Take it Back ''Yakety Yak, Take it Back'' is a 1991 celebrity charity music video film aimed at encouraging recycling using a combination of live action rock stars, rappers, and animated Warner Bros. characters. The film features Pat Benatar, Natalie Cole, Ch ...
'' (1991), as himself and 'Yakety Yak' (voice) (live action/animated music video) * ''
Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the first installment of the '' Late Night''. Hosted by David Letterman, it aired from February1, 1982 to June 25, 1993, and was replaced by ...
'' (September 19, 1992), as himself (performs "Goodnight, Irene") * ''
Touched by an Angel ''Touched by an Angel'' is an American drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced by Ma ...
'' (1996), as himself (2 episodes) * '' VH1 Duets - Eric Clapton and Dr. John'' (1996), as himself (performance recorded at
Roseland Ballroom The Roseland Ballroom was a multipurpose hall, in a converted ice skating rink, with a colorful ballroom dancing pedigree, in New York City's Theater District, New York, theater district, on 52nd Street (Manhattan), West 52nd Street in Manhattan ...
, New York City; " Right Place, Wrong Time"; " St. James Infirmary"; "How Long Blues"; "
Roberta Roberta is a feminine version of the given names Robert and Roberto. It is a Germanic name derived from the stems *hrod meaning "famous", "glorious", "godlike" and *berht meaning "bright", "shining", "light". People with the name *Roberta Achtenbe ...
"; and "
Layla "Layla" is a song written by Eric Clapton and Jim Gordon, originally recorded with their band Derek and the Dominos, as the thirteenth track from their only studio album, '' Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' (1970). Its contrasting movemen ...
") * ''
Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...
'' (December 22, 1997), as himself (performs "Stepping Stone" with G. Love and
Special Sauce The Big Mac is a brand of hamburger sold by the international fast food restaurant chain McDonald's. It was introduced by a Greater Pittsburgh area franchisee in 1967 and expanded nationwide in 1968, and is widely regarded as the company's f ...
) * ''
Blues Brothers 2000 ''Blues Brothers 2000'' is a 1998 American musical action comedy film directed by John Landis from a screenplay written by Landis and Dan Aykroyd, both of whom were also producers, and starring Aykroyd and John Goodman. The film serves as a seq ...
'' (1998), as himself * ''
Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...
'' (December 1, 1999), as himself (performs "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby" with B. B. King) * ''
Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...
'' (November 28, 2000), as himself (performs duet of "Merry Christmas, Baby" with
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
) * ''
Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...
'' (June 17, 2008), as himself (performs "Time for Change" with The Lower 911) * '' Treme'' (HBO Series - 2010–2013), as himself * ''
Top Chef ''Top Chef'' is an American reality competition television series which premiered on Bravo in March 2006. The show features chefs competing against each other in culinary challenges. The contestants are judged by a panel of professional chefs ...
'' (2013), as himself (guest judge) * '' NCIS: New Orleans'' (2015), as himself (1 episode) * '' One Note at a Time'' (2018), as himself


Discography


As leader

Sources: * '' Gris-Gris'' (1968) (
Atco Atco or ATCO may refer to: Businesses * ATCO, a Canadian diversified company involved in manufacturing, utilities, energy and technologies ** ATCO Electric, a subsidiary of the above company * Atco (British mower company), a mower manufacturing com ...
33-234 onaural SD 33-234 tereo * ''
Babylon Babylon ( ) was an ancient city located on the lower Euphrates river in southern Mesopotamia, within modern-day Hillah, Iraq, about south of modern-day Baghdad. Babylon functioned as the main cultural and political centre of the Akkadian-s ...
'' (1969) (Atco, SD 33-270) * '' Remedies'' (1970) (Atco, SD 33-316) * '' The Sun, Moon & Herbs'' (1971) (Atco, SD 33-362) * '' Dr. John's Gumbo'' (1972) (Atco, SD 7006) * ''
In the Right Place ''In the Right Place'' is the sixth album by the New Orleans R&B artist Dr. John. The album was released on Atco Records in 1973, and became the biggest selling album of Dr. John's career. The song "Such a Night" was also performed as part of Th ...
'' (1973) (Atco, SD 7018) * ''Zu Zu Man'' (1973) (Trip Records, TLP 9518) * ''
Desitively Bonnaroo ''Desitively Bonnaroo'' is a 1974 album by the New Orleans rhythm and blues musician Dr. John. The album was produced by Allen Toussaint and features sizable musical support from The Meters. The album mines the territory featured on his previou ...
'' (1974) (Atco, SD 7043) * ''Anytime, Anyplace'' (1974) (Barometer, BRM 67001) * ''Cut Me While I'm Hot (The Sixties Sessions)'' (1975) ( DJM, 2019) * ''The Night Tripper'' (1977) (Crazy Cajun, CCLP-1037) * ''MalcolM RebennacK'' (1977) (Crazy Cajun, CCLP-1040) * ''One Night Late'' (1977) (Karate, KSD-5404) same tracks as ''Anytime, Anyplace'' * ''
City Lights ''City Lights'' is a 1931 American synchronized sound film, sound romance film, romantic comedy drama, comedy-drama film written, produced, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a ...
'' (1978) (Horizon/ A&M, SP-732) * '' Tango Palace'' (1979) (Horizon/A&M, SP-740) * ''Love Potion'' KA ''Loser for You Baby''(1981) (Accord, 7118) * ''Take Me back to New Orleans'' (1981) (
Black Lion Black Lion, Black Lions, or Blacklions may refer to: Businesses and organisations * Black Lion, Hammersmith, a London pub * Black Lion, Kilburn, a London pub * Black Lion Records, a British jazz record company * Black Lions Films, associated wi ...
, BLM 61001) with
Chris Barber Donald Christopher Barber (17 April 1930 – 2 March 2021) was an English jazz musician, best known as a bandleader and Trombone, trombonist. He helped many musicians with their careers and had a UK top twenty trad jazz hit with "Petite Fleur ...
) * ''Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack, Vol. 1'' (1982) (Clean Cuts, 705; CD: Clean Cuts 720) * '' The Brightest Smile in Town (Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack, Vol. 2)'' (1983) (Clean Cuts, 707; CD: Clean Cuts 722) * ''
In a Sentimental Mood "In a Sentimental Mood" is a jazz composition by Duke Ellington. He composed the piece in 1935 and recorded it with his orchestra during the same year. Lyrics were written by Manny Kurtz; Ellington's manager Irving Mills gave himself a percen ...
'' (1989) (
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
, 25889) * '' Goin' Back to New Orleans'' (1992) (Warner Bros., 26940) * ''Brer Rabbit and Boss Lion'' (1992) (Kid Rhino, 70496) children's album * ''
Television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
'' (1994) (GRP Records, GRP/MCA Records, MCA, 4024) * ''Afterglow (Dr. John album), Afterglow'' (1995) (Blue Thumb Records, Blue Thumb/GRP/MCA, 7000) * '' Anutha Zone'' (1998) (Point Black Records, Point Blank/Virgin/EMI, 46218) * ''Duke Elegant'' (2000) (Blue Note Records, Blue Note/Parlophone/EMI, 23220) (a tribute to Duke Ellington) * ''Creole Moon'' (2001) (Blue Note/Parlophone/EMI, 34591) * ''N'Awlinz: Dis Dat or d'Udda'' (2004) (Blue Note/Parlophone/EMI, 78602) * ''Sippiana Hericane'' (2005) (Blue Note/Parlophone/EMI, 45687) * ''Mercenary'' (2006) (Blue Note/Parlophone/EMI, 54541) (a tribute to Johnny Mercer) * ''City That Care Forgot'' (2008) (429/Savoy Records, Savoy, 17703) (with The Lower 911) * ''Curious George: A Very Monkey Christmas - Music from the Motion Picture'' (2009) (429/Savoy, 17748) * ''Tribal (Dr. John album), Tribal'' (2010) (429/Savoy, 17803) (with The Lower 911) * ''Locked Down (album), Locked Down'' (2012) (Nonesuch Records, Nonesuch/WEA, 530395) * '' Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch'' (2014) (Concord Records, Concord/UMe, 35187) (a tribute to
Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...
) * '' Things Happen That Way'' (2022) (Rounder Records, Rounder, 1166101698) * ''Big Band Voodoo'' (2019) (Orange Music, [UPC: 762183509823]) (with WDR Big Band Köln) * ''Gumbo Blues'' (2020) (Purple Pyramid Records, Purple Pyramid, 2023) * ''Frankie & Johnny'' (2024) (Sundazed Records, Sundazed, 5660) - recorded 1981/1982


Live albums

Sources: * ''
Hollywood Be Thy Name ''Hollywood Be Thy Name'' is a live album by New Orleans R&B artist Dr. John. It was produced by producer Bob Ezrin. The recording venue, Willie Purple's Niteclub, was in reality Cherokee Recording Studios with a live audience. Track listing ...
'' (1975) (United Artists Records, United Artists, UA-LA552G) * ''Such a Night! Live in London'' (1984) (Spindrift, SPIN 107) * ''On a Mardi Gras Day'' (1983 [1990]) (Great Southern, GS-11024) (with
Chris Barber Donald Christopher Barber (17 April 1930 – 2 March 2021) was an English jazz musician, best known as a bandleader and Trombone, trombonist. He helped many musicians with their careers and had a UK top twenty trad jazz hit with "Petite Fleur ...
) * ''Trippin' Live'' (1997) (Wind-Up/Surefire, 13047) * ''Live at Wrightegaarden 2000-07-18'' (2001) (Wrightegaarden Concerts/Langesund Muse, Wr/LMPCD-2) * ''All By Hisself: Live at The Lonestar'' (2003) (Skinji Brim/Hyena, 9317) - recorded December 22–23, 1986 * ''Live at Montreux 1995'' (2005) (Eagle Records, Eagle, 20078) * ''Right Place, Right Time (Live at Tipitina's – Mardi Gras '89)'' (2006) (Hyena, 9344) * ''Live in Sweden 1987'' (2016) (MVD, 8128) (with Johnny Winter) * ''The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: Celebrating Mac and His Music'' (2016) (Concord/UMe, 00216 [UPC: 888072009820]) - recorded May 3, 2014 [2-CD set] * ''Recorded Live In Tokyo, Japan'' (2019) (Cargo, 5001) - recorded 1992 * ''Dr. John: Solo Piano Live in New Orleans 1984'' (2023) (501/Tipitina's Record Club, TRC-0302) * ''Dr. John: The Montreux Years 1986–2012'' (2023) (BMG, [UPC: 4050538799712]) *
Dr. John: Live at Montreux
1986'' (2024) (Montreux Sounds, under exclusive license to Montreux Media Ventures and BMG Rights Management)


With Bluesiana Triangle

Sources: * ''Bluesiana Triangle'' (1990) (Windham Hill Records, Windham Hill Jazz, 10125) (with Art Blakey and David "Fathead" Newman, David Newman) * ''Bluesiana II'' (1991) (Windham Hill Jazz, 10133) (with David Newman and Ray Anderson (musician), Ray Anderson)


With Crescent City Gold

* ''The Ultimate Session'' (1994) (High Street/Windham Hill, 10324) (with
Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descr ...
, Red Tyler, Lee Allen (musician), Lee Allen and Earl Palmer)


Compilations

* ''The Ultimate Dr. John'' (1987) (Warner Special Products, 27612) * ''Mos' Scocious: The Dr. John Anthology'' (1993) (Rhino Records, Rhino, 71450) 2-CD set * ''The Very Best of Dr. John'' (1995) (Rhino, 71924) * '' 'Right Place Wrong Time' and Other Hits'' (1997) (Flashback/Rhino, 72885) * ''The Essentials'' (2002) (Elektra Records, Elektra/Rhino, 76068) * ''Storm Warning (The Early Sessions of Mac 'Dr. John' Rebennack)'' (2004) (Westside, WESM-641) * ''The Best of the Parlophone Years'' (2005) (Blue Note/Parlophone/EMI, 60920) * ''The Definitive Pop Collection'' (2006) (Atlantic Records, Atlantic/Rhino, 70814) 2-CD set * ''Dr. John: Original Album Series'' (2009) (Atco/Rhino, UPC: 081227983673) 5-CD set (reissues ''Gris-Gris''; ''Babylon''; ''The Sun, Moon & Herbs''; ''Dr. John's Gumbo''; ''In The Right Place'' in a slipcase box set) * ''The Atco/Atlantic Singles 1968–1974'' (2015) (Omnivore Recordings, OVCD-149) * ''The Atco Albums Collection'' (2017) (Atco/Rhino, UPC: 081227933876) 7-CD set (reissues all 7 original Atco albums in a clamshell box set; all recordings remastered) * ''An Introduction to Dr. John'' (2019) (Flashback/Atlantic, UPC: 603497852642) * ''Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya: Singles 1968–1974'' (2024) (Omnivore Recordings, UPC: 810075113853) (Double purple vinyl album-set for Record Store Day; the CD release followed).


Other contributions

Source: from the 2,012 credits listed by
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
* ''
Freak Out! ''Freak Out!'' is the debut studio album by the American rock band the Mothers of Invention, released on June 27, 1966, by Verve Records. Often cited as one of rock music's first concept albums, it is a satirical expression of guitarist/bandle ...
'', The Mothers of Invention (Verve Records, Verve, 1966) * ''
Living the Blues ''Living the Blues'' is the third album by American blues rock band Canned Heat, a double album released in late 1968. It was one of the first double albums to place well on album charts. It features Canned Heat's signature song, " Going Up the ...
'',
Canned Heat Canned Heat is an American blues rock band that was formed in Los Angeles in 1965. The group has been noted for its efforts to promote interest in blues music and its original artists. It was launched by two blues enthusiasts, Alan Wilson and ...
(Liberty Records, Liberty, 1968) * '' Future Blues'', Canned Heat (Liberty, 1970) * ''Play the Blues'', Buddy Guy & Junior Wells (Atlantic Records, Atlantic, 1972) – piano on "A Man of Many Words", "T-Bone Shuffle" and "Messin' With the Kid". * ''Young, Gifted and Black'',
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Honored as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Soul", she was twice named by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine as the Roll ...
(Atlantic, 1972) – percussion on "Rock Steady (Aretha Franklin song), Rock Steady". * ''Exile on Main St.'', The Rolling Stones (Rolling Stones Records, 1972) – piano, backing vocals on " Let It Loose"; backing vocals on "All Down the Line". * ''The Weapon (album), The Weapon'', David "Fathead" Newman, David Newman (Atlantic, 1973) * ''Triumvirate (album), Triumvirate'', with
Mike Bloomfield Michael Bernard Bloomfield (July 28, 1943 – February 15, 1981) was an American blues guitarist and composer. Born in Chicago, he became one of the first popular music stars of the 1960s to earn his reputation almost entirely on his instrume ...
and John Hammond, Jr. (Columbia Records, Columbia, 1973) * '' Hotcakes'',
Carly Simon Carly Elisabeth Simon (born June 25, 1943) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and author. She rose to fame in the 1970s with a string of hit records; her 13 Billboard Hot 100, top 40 U.S. hits include "Anticipation (song), Anticipatio ...
(Elektra Records, Elektra, 1974) – piano and organ on "
Mockingbird Mockingbirds are a group of New World passerine birds from the family (biology), family Mimidae. They are best known for the habit of some species Mimicry, mimicking the songs of other birds and the sounds of insects and amphibians, often loudly ...
". * ''
Beautiful Noise ''Beautiful Noise'' is the tenth album by American singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, released in 1976. Diamond's third album with Columbia Records, it was produced by Robbie Robertson, known for his work with The Band. Garth Hudson of The Band a ...
'',
Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling musicians of all time. He has written and ...
(Columbia, 1976) – organ * '' Levon Helm & the RCO All-Stars'',
Levon Helm Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm (May 26, 1940 – April 19, 2012) was an American musician who achieved fame as the drummer and one of the three lead vocalists for The Band, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Hel ...
(ABC Records, ABC, 1977) * ''Playin' Up a Storm'', Gregg Allman Band (Capricorn Records, Capricorn, 1977) – piano and clavinet, songwriting credits on "Let This Be a Lesson to Ya. * '' A Period of Transition'',
Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...
(
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...
, 1977) * ''Inphasion'', Papa John Creach ( DJM, 1978) – piano and organ on "All the World Loves a Winner" and "Southern Strut". * ''Casey's Shadow, Casey's Shadow - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' (Columbia, 1978) – performing "Jolie Blonde" and "Coon-Ass Song". * ''
Return to Magenta ''Return to Magenta'', issued in 1978, is the second album by the rock band Mink DeVille. The album was the last to feature all the original members of the band. For this album the band was joined by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Steve Dougla ...
'', Mink DeVille (Capitol Records, Capitol, 1978) – piano * ''Rickie Lee Jones (album), Rickie Lee Jones'',
Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. Over the course of a career that spans five decades and 15 studio albums, she has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, an ...
(Warner Bros., 1979) – keyboards * ''In Harmony (compilation albums), In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record'' (various artists) (Warner Bros., 1980) – duet with Libby Titus on "The Sailor and the Mermaid". * ''Against the Wind (album), Against the Wind'', Bob Seger (Capitol, 1980) – keyboards on "The Horizontal Bop". * ''In Harmony (compilation albums), In Harmony 2'' (various artists) (Columbia, 1981) – performing "Splish Splash". * ''Twilight Time'', Bennie Wallace (Blue Note Records, Blue Note, 1985) – piano and organ; also features Stevie Ray Vaughan as a guest on guitar. * ''Christmas Island (Leon Redbone album), Christmas Island'', Leon Redbone (Rounder Records, Rounder, 1987) – duet with Redbone on "Frosty the Snowman". * ''Accidentally on Purpose (Ian Gillan and Roger Glover album), Accidentally on Purpose'', Ian Gillan, Gillan & Roger Glover, Glover (Virgin Records, Virgin, 1988) – piano on "Can't Believe You Wanna Leave". * '' 20'',
Harry Connick Jr. Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and former television host. As of 2019, he has sold over 30 million records worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top60 best-selling ma ...
(Columbia, 1988) – organ and duet with Connick on "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans". * ''Big Fun (Elvin Bishop album), Big Fun'', Elvin Bishop (Alligator Records, Alligator, 1988) * ''Voodoo'', Dirty Dozen Brass Band (Columbia, 1989) – piano and vocal on "It's All Over Now". * ''Night Beat (Hank Crawford album), Night Beat'', Hank Crawford (Milestone Records, Milestone, 1989) * ''Groove Master'', Hank Crawford (Milestone, 1990) * '' Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band'', Ringo Starr (EMI, 1990; CD: Rykodisc Records, Rykodisc RCD-10190) * ''Indian Blues'', Donald Harrison (Candid Records, Candid, 1991) * ''New Orleans Gumbo'', Donald Harrison (Candid, 1991 [rel. 2013]) * ''Let Me In (Johnny Winter album), Let Me In'', Johnny Winter (Point Blank Records, Point Blank/Virgin 1991) * ''Who's Snakin' Who?'', Syndicate of Soul (Shanachie Records, Shanachie, 1993) – vocal on "Ain't No Sunshine". * ''Strange Pleasure'', Jimmie Vaughan (Epic Records, Epic, 1994) * ''Till the Night is Gone: A Tribute to Doc Pomus'' (various artists) (Forward/Rhino, 1995) – performing "I'm on a Roll". * ''Boogie to Heaven'', Gail Wynters (VWC Records, 1995) – featuring Dr. John and Roger Kellaway * ''
101 Dalmatians 101 Dalmatians may refer to: * '' The Hundred and One Dalmatians'', a 1956 novel written by Dodie Smith * 101 Dalmatians (franchise), a Disney film franchise based on the novel ** '' One Hundred and One Dalmatians'', a 1961 animated film based on ...
- Original Soundtrack'' (Disney/Hollywood Records, Hollywood, 1996) – performing "Cruella de Vil (song), Cruella De Vil". * "Perfect Day (Lou Reed song)#BBC corporate film and charity release, Perfect Day" (BBC corporate film and charity release, 1997) – featuring amongst others, Dr. John (performing
Lou Reed Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...
's "Perfect Day"). Reached #1 on the UK singles chart * ''
Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space ''Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space'' is the third studio album by English space rock band Spiritualized, released on 16 June 1997. The album features guest appearances from the Balanescu Quartet, the London Community Gospel Choir an ...
'',
Spiritualized Spiritualized (stylised as Spiritualized®) are an English rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Jason Pierce (often known as J. Spaceman), formerly of Spacemen 3. After several line up-changes, in 1999, the band centred on Pie ...
(Dedicated Records, 1997) – piano and vocal on "Cop Shoot Cop". * ''Blues Brothers 2000 (soundtrack), Blues Brothers 2000 - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' (Uptown/Universal Records, Universal, 1998) – performing " Season of the Witch" with the The Blues Brothers, Blues Brothers Band. * ''Let the Good Times Roll (album), Let the Good Times Roll: The Music of Louis Jordan'',
B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...
(MCA Records, MCA, 1999) – piano and duet with King on "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby, "Is You Is, or Is You Ain't (My Baby)". * ''The Skiffle Sessions – Live in Belfast 1998'', Van Morrison/Lonnie Donegan/
Chris Barber Donald Christopher Barber (17 April 1930 – 2 March 2021) was an English jazz musician, best known as a bandleader and Trombone, trombonist. He helped many musicians with their careers and had a UK top twenty trad jazz hit with "Petite Fleur ...
(Point Blank/Virgin/EMI, 2000). Dr. John was playing Belfast the same night, and after his own concert had finished, turned up to play on the last few tracks. * ''Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band, The Max Weinberg 7'' (Hip-O Records, Hip-O, 2000) – piano and vocal on "Catch 'Em in the Act". * ''My Kind of Christmas'',
Christina Aguilera Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
(RCA Records, RCA, 2000) – duet with Aguilera on "Merry Christmas, Baby". * ''Dear Louis'', Nicholas Payton (Verve Records, Verve, 2001) – vocal on "Blues in the Night" (a duet with Dianne Reeves) and "Mack the Knife". * ''Dot Com Blues'', Jimmy Smith (musician), Jimmy Smith (Blue Thumb Records, Blue Thumb/Verve, 2001) – piano and vocal on "Only in It for the Money", piano on "I Just Wanna Make Love to You". * ''Jools Holland's Big Band Rhythm & Blues'', Jools Holland (Rhino Records, Rhino, 2002) – performing "The Hand That Changed Its Mind". * ''Sousafunk Ave.'', Kirk Joseph's Backyard Groove (Audible Vision, 2005) – vocal on "I Can't Get Started". * ''Our New Orleans 2005'' (various artists) (Nonesuch Records, Nonesuch/WEA, 2005) – performing "World I Never Made". * ''The Disney Standards'', Steve Tyrell (Disney/Hollywood, 2006) – duet with Tyrell on "You've Got a Friend in Me". * ''The New Orleans Social Club: Sing Me Back Home'' (various artists) (Burgundy/Sony BMG/Honey Darling Records, 2006) – performing "Walking to New Orleans (song), Walking to New Orleans". * '' Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino'' (various artists) (Vanguard Records, Vanguard, 2007) 2-CD set – performing "
Don't Leave Me This Way "Don't Leave Me This Way" is a song written by Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff and Cary Gilbert. It was originally released in 1975 by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes featuring Teddy Pendergrass, an act signed to Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia Interna ...
". * ''One Kind Favor'', B. B. King (Geffen Records, Geffen, 2008) – on piano. * '' Let Them Talk'',
Hugh Laurie James Hugh Calum Laurie (; born 11 June 1959) is an English actor, comedian, singer, musician and writer. He first gained professional recognition as a member of the English comedy double act Fry and Laurie with Stephen Fry. Fry and Laurie act ...
(Warner Bros., 2011) – duet with Laurie on "After You've Gone (song), After You've Gone". * ''Use Me (David Bromberg album), Use Me'', David Bromberg (Appleseed Recordings, Appleseed, 2011) * ''Low Country Blues'',
Gregg Allman Gregory LeNoir Allman (December 8, 1947 – May 27, 2017) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. He was known for performing in the Allman Brothers Band. Allman grew up with an interest in rhythm and blues music, and the Allman B ...
(Rounder, 2011) * ''Renaissance (Marcus Miller album), Renaissance'', Marcus Miller (Concord Records, Concord/UMe, 2012) – vocal on "Tightrope". * ''The Rough Guide to Voodoo'' (various artists) (World Music Network, 2013) * ''Son of Rogues Gallery: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs & Chanteys'' (ANTI-/Epitaph, 2013) 2-CD set – performing "In Lure of the Tropics". * ''Cracking the Code'', Stephen Dale Petit (333 Records, 2013) – piano and organ on "Get You Off" and "Hubert's Blues". * ''Decisions'', Bobby Rush (musician), Bobby Rush with Blinddog Smokin' (Silver Talon, 2014) – duet with Rush on "Another Murder in New Orleans". * ''The Arcs vs. The Inventors, Vol. 1'', The Arcs (feat.
Dan Auerbach Daniel Quine Auerbach (; born May 14, 1979) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer, best known as the guitarist and vocalist of The Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio. As a member of the group, Auerbach has ...
) (Nonesuch Records, Nonesuch, 2015) Limited Edition 10" EP – with Dr. John, David Hidalgo * '' One Note at a Time'' (original soundtrack) (Louisiana Red Hot Records, 2018) – performing "Roscoe's Song/Down the Road", and "This Little Light of Mine" (feat. Gaynelle Neville,
Cyril Neville Cyril Garrett Neville (born October 10, 1948) is an American percussionist and vocalist who first came to prominence as a member of his brother Art Neville's funky New Orleans–based band, The Meters. He joined Art in the Neville Brothers band u ...
, Amasi Miller, Shannon Powell, Jesse Boyd, Detroit Brooks, Paul Pattan, Donald Harrison).


In popular culture

*Dr. John was featured in the third episode of the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
series '' Treme'', as well as three episodes of the second season and the final episode of the fourth season, playing himself in all of them. *Dr. John was the inspiration for Jim Henson's The Muppets, Muppet character Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem#Dr. Teeth, Dr. Teeth. *Dr. John sings "Huggy Can't Go Back" in the TV series ''Starsky & Hutch''. *Dr. John appeared as himself in the '' SCTV'' skit "Polynesian Town", opposite John Candy, Catherine O'Hara and Joe Flaherty, also performing "
Iko Iko "Iko Iko" () is a much-covered New Orleans song that tells of a parade collision between two tribes of Mardi Gras Indians and the traditional confrontation. The song, under the original title "Jock-A-Mo", was written and released in 1953 as a si ...
" and "Such a Night" as the musical guest. *Dr. John is referenced in Reunion's 1974 pop song "Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)". * Dr. John was featured in the sixth episode of the 2014 mini-series ''Sonic Highways (TV series), Sonic Highways'' *Dr. John appears as himself in the first episode of the second season of '' NCIS: New Orleans'', "Sic Semper Tyrannis", playing "Right Place, Wrong Time". *Dr. John performs "The Bare Necessities" in the credits of the 2016 film ''The Jungle Book (2016 film), The Jungle Book''. *Dr. John's unexpected performance on June 20, 1986, in Blairgowrie and Rattray, Blairgowrie, Scotland is the subject of Michael Marra's song "Mac Rebennack's Visit to Blairgowrie" on his 2007 EP, ''Quintet''. Upon being told of the song, Dr. John wrote Marra a cheque for "love and life". *Dr. John appears in
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
's ''The Blues (film series), The Blues'', Episode 7: "Piano Blues" directed by Clint Eastwood for
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
.


Recognition


Grammy Awards

Source: * 1989 Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo Or Group – "Makin' Whoopee" with
Rickie Lee Jones Rickie Lee Jones (born November 8, 1954) is an American singer, musician, and songwriter. Over the course of a career that spans five decades and 15 studio albums, she has recorded in various musical styles including rock, R&B, pop, soul, an ...
* 1992 Best Traditional Blues Album – ''Goin' Back To New Orleans'' * 1997 Best Rock Instrumental Performance – "SRV Shuffle" with Jimmie Vaughan,
Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English Rock music, rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s l ...
,
Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...
, Robert Cray,
B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, sh ...
, Buddy Guy, and Art Neville * 2000 Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals – "Is You Is, Or Is You Ain't (My Baby)" with B.B. King * 2008 Best Contemporary Blues Album – ''City That Care Forgot'' * 2013 Best Blues Album – ''Locked Down''


Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

* 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee


See also

* List of one-hit wonders in the United States#1970s, List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

* Dr. John (Mac Rebennack) and Jack Rummel (1994).
Under a Hoodoo Moon: The Life of the Night Tripper
'. New York: St. Martin's Press. .


External links

* * [ Allmusic] * * Performance video: on Jools' Annual Hootenanny, ''Jools' Annual Hootenanny'', 1995 (BBC) {{DEFAULTSORT:John, Dr. 1941 births 2019 deaths 20th-century American pianists American funk singers American male pianists American male organists American male singer-songwriters American people of English descent American people of French descent American people of German descent American people of Irish descent American people of Spanish descent American rhythm and blues keyboardists American session musicians American soul singers Atco Records artists Blue Note Records artists American blues rock musicians Boogie-woogie pianists Concord Records artists Freak scene musicians Grammy Award winners Jesuit High School (New Orleans) alumni Louisiana Voodoo Nonesuch Records artists Proper Records artists Rhythm and blues musicians from New Orleans Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band members Singer-songwriters from Louisiana Swamp rock musicians The Wrecking Crew (music) members Warner Records artists