(born Malcolm Rebennack, aka Mac Rebennack)
November 21, 1940 - Present
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana

Dr. John is the spiritual and musical embodiment of New
Orleans. Since the 1950s he has used Crescent City blues, R&B,
funk, jazz, rock, and pop as ingredients in his musical gumbo,
and he remains one of the city's most personable ambassadors.
Over the years, Dr. John has played on hundreds of recordings
made by dozens of artists and has worked as an arranger,
producer, sideman, and talent scout. He also has penned
hundreds of compositions and has performed at just about every
major jazz and blues festival, both in the U.S. and abroad. In short,
Dr. John is a New Orleans original and one of the shapers of that
city's post- World War II musical legacy.

Born and raised in New Orleans, Mac Rebennack (he didn't begin
calling himself Dr. John until 1968) was surrounded by music as
a child. His father owned a record store that specialized in black
music, and he also repaired club sound systems, often taking his
son with him on jobs. By hanging out at his father's store, young
Mac was exposed to jazz, blues, and early R&B. By age fourteen
he could play the piano and guitar and began working recording
sessions at Cosimo Matassa's recording studio where he
befriended such New Orleans luminaries as James Booker,
Jethro T. Nuraw, Professor Longhair, and Allen Toussaint.

By the mid-1950s Rebennack was a main cog in the New
Orleans music- making machine. Ace Records employed him as
a songwriter, and he worked as a producer and A&R man for Ric
and Ron Records, in addition to Specialty, Minit, and other labels.
Rebennack also did studio work for Chess and Mercury and,
despite being white, was a founding member of the AFO (All for
One) black music co-operative and label.

In a 1961 barroom fight, Rebennack lost the tip of his ring finger
on his right hand when a gun he sought to take away from his
adversary went off. The tip of the finger was repaired, but
Rebennack lost feeling in it. The injury forced him to change the
way he played guitar and prompted him to learn the bass.
Fortunately it didn't affect his piano playing, as the piano was
becoming his main instrument.

With work opportunities for musicians fading in New Orleans in
the mid-'60s, Rebennack joined other Cresent City players who
moved to the West Coast to seek work. Rebennack became a
studio musician and often worked with rock & roll producer Phil
Spector. In 1968, he began his solo career; using studio time
given to him by Sonny & Cher, Rebennack recorded his debut
album, Gris Gris, which was picked up by Atco Records that year.
Changing his name to Dr. John Creaux the Night Tripper (later
shortened to Dr. John) and creating a psychedelicized voodoo
persona, complete with wild Mardi Gras costumes and
headdresses, Rebennack reinvented traditional New Orleans
sounds in a pop setting.

After Gris Gris, Dr. John recorded the albums Babylon and
Remedies and The Sun, Moon & Herbs before scoring with
Gumbo, an album that was filled with New Orleans roots music.
The 1972 work contained flavorful versions of New Orleans
standards like "Iko Iko" and "Tipitina." The follow-up Atco record,
In the Right Place, featured Dr. John's biggest pop hit, "Right
Place, Wrong Time," which made it to number 9 on the charts in
1973. Dr. John next joined Triumvirate, a short-lived supergroup
that also included blues guitarists Mike Bloomfield and John
Hammond, Jr. Their self-titled album sank without a trace in 1974.


For the rest of the 1970s and well into the 1980s, Dr. John
continued to make records. Along the way he explored a variety of
rock and pop paths with mixed results. He also continued his
busy career as a studio musician and club performer. His
recording career was revitalized in 1990 with the release of the
album In a Sentimental Mood, which included an infectious
rendition of "Makin' Whoopee," cut as a duet with singer Rickie
Lee Jones.

In 1992 Dr. John once again returned to his New Orleans roots
with the album Goin' Back to New Orleans. He continues to
record and perform.