Dr. John Passes Away At 77
• Dr. John, the flamboyant New Orleans singer-pianist whose hoodoo-drenched music made him the summarizing figure of the grand Crescent City R&B/rock ‘n’ roll tradition, died Thursday, June 6 of a heart attack at age 77.
The news of Dr. John’s death was first posted on his Twitter feed, reading, “Towards the break of day on June 6, 2019, iconic music legend Malcolm John Rebennack, Jr., professionally known as Dr. John, passed away of a heart attack. As a Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductee, six-time Grammy winner, songwriter, composer, producer and performer, he created a unique blend of music, which carried his hometown, New Orleans, at its heart, as it was always in his heart. The family thanks all whom shared his unique musical journey & requests privacy at this time. Memorial arrangements will be announced in due course.”
Cruising through the good Doctor’s social media feed, we were struck by this 1992 photo of Dr. John in action in San Francisco, taken by Herman Leonard.
If you are looking for a comprehensive review of Dr. John’s colorful life and equally colorful career, look no further than the excellent retrospective in Variety written by my talented former Billboard colleague Chris Morris.
